Friday, June 28, 2019

"Wheelie Great"



So glad to squeeze in some time after dinner to make one last card for the 100th Inky Paws Challenge.  I am going to link this card in the favorite product category and hope to do a good job explaining why I REALLY love this particular stamp.

How do I love thee, Newton Scoots By?  Let me count the ways:

1.  Any NN design featuring Newton can be colored like my sassy gray cat or like my chunky tuxedo kitty whose name may be changing from Oreo to Double Stuff.

2.  This set has some cute, punny sentiments.

3.  The sentiments are encouraging, and this set works for masculine cards really well.

4. The best reason is that stamping Newton on his scooter makes me laugh---hard. Why?  Read the story below......

Once upon a time, the term "Vespa" came up in a conversation with my son.  He didn't know what a Vespa was, and I answered:  "A Vespa is that cute little scooter the hot guys ride in the movies."  I even gave him a few examples of movies in which this was true.

Not much time passed, and we were enjoying a beautiful morning on the porch when an older gentlemen went by.  This septuagenarian has not yet outgrown his love for "big boy toys" and had just acquired a new Vespa.  My son leaned over and said, "Hot guys ride Vespas, huh, Mom?"

Every time I stamp Newton on his cute scooter, I think of that story!

Thanks for visiting,
Christine

Thursday, June 27, 2019

Play in the Puddles


Just loving the 100th Inky Paws challenge as it offers lots of flexibility and plenty of opportunities to get my NN stamps inky.

I was in the mood to watercolor, and what do you know?  There's a watercolor theme challenge available.  Newton's Rainy Day looks so cute over the happy clouds in the patterned paper cut with Frames and Flags.

Thanks for stopping by,
Christine

Linking to
Inky Paws Challenge 100
Word Art Wednesday
SSS Wednesday Challenge

Wishing You a Beautiful Day


I had such fun heat embossing and watercoloring a page full of flowers from Reverse Confetti's Build a Bunch set a few days ago.  They have been on my desk waiting for a card base, and I really enjoyed assembling this one!  The sentiment  is from Rose Garden and is stamped on a tag from the Tall Tags Trio.  The pretty plaid background was cut using a PTI Plaid die.

Thanks so much for stopping by,
Christine

Linking to:
RC Stock Your Stash (Hello/Just Because)
Mod Squad (Add a Flower)
Word Art Wednesday
SSS Wednesday Challenge

Floral Sketches Happy Birthday


I love the many fun ways Floral Sketches images can be used.  They are so pretty in watercolor and just when simply stamped.  Here, I stamped them in soft colors and  layered them over Shape Shifters Oval 1 die, adding a cute heart tag featuring the sentiment.  Quick and fun to stamp!

Thanks so much for visiting,
Christine

Linking to the following challenges:
Laurie's Fabulous Favorites
Mod Squad (add flowers)
Word Art Wednesday
SSS Wednesday 

Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Color Challenge--Happy Birthday Tag


I chose this beautiful pastel color challenge photo to use in the 100th Inky Paws Challenge.

This tag is adorned with a corner of Floral Fringe which was colored with pencils and fussy cut.  I trimmed the edges to match the curved corners of the tag, added a little Kat Scrappiness bling, a retired Verve sentiment, and a  pink and aqua junk bow.

Thanks so much for taking a look,
Christine









Linking to:
Inky Paws Challenge 100 
SSS Wednesday Challenge
Word Art Wednesday
The Cat's Pajamas (Summer Colors/Flowers)

AHSC 322---Fleur Impressions Happy Birthday


Happy Wednesday!  Today is the day the the AHSC design team members share their interpretations of Michelle's sketches.  The Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge is set up in such a fun way:  a new sketch is posted each Monday, and design team inspiration is show on Wednesday.  That way, participants can choose to play either before or after being influenced by the DT's interpretations of the sketch.  Such fun!  Hope you will visit the AHSC Blog and play along!

I love this week's sketch!  I softly inked Altenew's Water Color Stripes stencil with aqua mist,  added some florals from The Greetery's Fleur Impressions, and finished with a scattering of bling.


Thanks so much for taking a look!
Christine


Linking to:
SSS Wednesday Challenge A/G
Word Art Wednesday
PIP Challenge


Tuesday, June 25, 2019

"Mistle Toad" Tag



The 100th Inky Paws Challenge offers lots of options for playing along.  I am choosing the Newton's Nook favorite category today.  This adorable image with its punny sentiment is called "Mistle Toad", and I do love to use it.  Whether on tags or cards, this cute little image always brings smiles and happy comments from the recipients.  Here, she is colored with pencils, mounted on a Reverse Confetti tag and topped off with a "junk bow" to add a little visual balance. 

Thanks for taking a look,
Christine

Linking to:
Inky Paws Challenge
Shopping Our Stash (Punny)
PIP Challenge

Monday, June 24, 2019

Build a Bunch: Sunshiny Day


After heat embossing and watercoloring a bunch of flowers from Reverse Confetti's Build a Bunch, I layered a few over the Wreath Confetti Cut Die and a panel cut  with the scalloped Edgers Confetti Cut die..  The sentiment, from Verve, is stamped on a Tall Tag that I trimmed down to fit, inked, and adorned with a twine bow.  The white-on-white background is really pretty but didn't photograph so well in the evening light.  So happy to have plenty of pretty flowers for a couple more cards.

Thanks for visiting,
Christine

Linking to RC Stock Your Stash
PIP Challenge
The Cat's Pajamas Tuesday Challenge:  Summer

Sunday, June 23, 2019

It's your birthday


I'm playing along with the 100th Inky Paws Challenge, and it's a fun one!  I chose birthday as the theme for my new card, and featured Newton's Birthday as the focal image.  After heat embossing the image on watercolor paper, I watercolored Newton with Arteza markers and a water brush.  The balloons, gift, stenciled stripes, and stamped dots are in Cracked Pistachio, Spiced Marmalade, and Worn Lipstick Distress Oxide inks.

Thanks for visiting,
Christine

Linking to Inky Paws Challenge
Word Art Wednesday

Friday, June 21, 2019

All Things Work Together



As a teacher, I tend to do more time consuming (to me, that means messy) crafting in the summer time. I think I might be getting addicted to smooshing ink and paint on these tags.  They are such a fun size for experimenting....Anyway, I am playing along with the Mod Squad Challenge to create a stand-alone mixed media tag.  Here's what I did:  After smooshing some Spiced Marmalade Distress Oxide on an acrylic block, I sprayed it and randomly added it to the tag.  Next, Worn Lipstick was pounced in the open spaces.  Using white ink, I stenciled TH Scribbles over the inking and splattered some gold, glittery acrylic paint.  The dear scripture is a Stamplorations image, and all the little corner embellishments were in my left-over bowl.  The "junk bow" is my favorite part....I just snipped random lengths of ribbon and lace, tied a bow with the twine and hot glued it all down. 

Thanks for visiting,
Christine

Linking to:
Mod Squad Challenge
Word Art Wednesday
Stamplorations June Mixed Media Challenge
Stamplorations Never Ending Anything Goes Challenge

Love, Power, and a Sound Mind



The current Mod Squad Challenge is to create a stand-alone mixed media tag.  I haven't done much mixed media and am not really sure I understand the whole concept, but here is how I created the tag.

The base is a TH mixed media tag, about 6 x3 inches, stenciled with Altenew's Watercolor Stripes and TH Splash in Peacock Feathers and Cracked Pistachio Distress Oxide inks.  I did activate the ink several times throughout the process of layering the elements.  Next, I made a stencil by cutting two sizes of hearts in scrap cardstock, dabbing on white acrylic paint. The stamp is a Typographia stamp from Stamplorations, which was stamped multiple times using the MISTI.  Finally, I splattered white paint and added a few Nuvo drops around the sentiment.

Thanks for visiting,
Christine

Linking to:
Mod Squad Challenge
Word Art Wednesday
Stamplorations June Mixed Media Challenge
Stamplorations Never Ending Anything Goes Challenge



Thursday, June 20, 2019

Happiness is.....


The Kat Scrappiness challenge for this month is "Meals with Dad".  Coffee and donuts is the perfect breakfast for us....he's donuts, I'm coffee.  I think both these sets are retired.  The cute donut is from Reverse Confetti's "Donut you Know" set and filled with sweet puns.  The sentiment is from a Verve set that allows the stamper to build lots of different happiness is statements.  Last, but not least, I topped the donut with some adorable Kat Scrappiness Heart Sprinkles.  How perfect for a donut topping!  These were a prize from a previous Kat Scrappiness challenge.  Thanks so much!

I am also linking this to Lisa B's challenge on the CLC Blog.  Though my stamps/dies are retired, I know that both Reverse Confetti and Verve have been CLC hop sponsors in the past.  

Hope your day is a blessed one with all the coffee you need,
Christine

In addition to the challenges linked above, I am linking to Word Art Wednesday 
and to the PIP Challenge.

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

Bitty Bouquets: Thanks





So glad that the Laurie's Fabulous Favorites Challenge is back!  The Ink to Paper release was wonderful, including great new products and amazing designer samples.  I chose Laurie's card, shown at the left to CASE. I used PTI's Scalloped Stackers  and Bitty Bouquets.  Since the floral element was not as full, I scattered a little bling from Doodles Paper Playground to add a little shine and interest.  It is fitting that I say, "Thanks" at this time because the pretty sparkle mix was a prize from the CLC blog, and I have enjoyed it so much!

Thanks for stopping by,
Christine


Linking to:
Laurie's Fabulous Favorites
Word Art Wednesday


Relax and Enjoy the Sun


I love this sketch and thought it would be a great place for Newton Scoots By.   Then, I found this adorable paper in an Echo Park stack.... I worked and worked to get the sentiment in the die just right....then, it slipped in the die cutting machine!  It's a little crooked but works so well with this image.  Hopefully Newton will for give me for than and for giving him a Tony the Tiger "fur-do".

Thanks so much for visiting,
Christine

Linking to Inky Paws 100th Challenge (sketch option)
SSS Wednesday Challenge (Travel/Vacation)

Happy Birthday


The June challenge over on The Cat's Pajamas Blog is "all things summer".  I hope this card qualifies with its warm colors and florals even though the beautiful TCP die is called  Spring Wreath.  I cut the wreath and layering pieces from watercolor paper and brushed ink over them using make up brushes that resemble life-changing ink brushes.  The striped area was stenciled using the same green ink as the wreath base, also utilizing the brushes.    My plaid stamp has been MIA...I was ever so grateful to find it in my craft closet stuck to a container.  (I seldom lose stamps or dies, and this was driving me crazy!) Anyway, it is good to have it back, and the colors in this card make me happy!

Thanks for taking a look,
Christine

Linking to:
The Cat's Pajamas

Tuesday, June 18, 2019

You're such a "deer"!


Hello stamping friends,

I am playing along with the Inky Paws Challenge again, and this one is a big one in celebration of their 100th challenge!  This time, I chose to play with my favorite (well, actually, I have more than one NN favorite, but that will be for another time....) set, Deer Friend.

This is  my first attempt at no-line coloring.  I am not a great "color-er", but I wanted this card to have a subtle look, and no-line work is often so soft and sweet.  I stamped in SSS Barely Beige ink and colored the image with Marco Raffine pencils.    I brushed grass and sky with Distress Oxide inks in Cracked Pistachio and Peacock Feathers, planning to cut the background down with a heart die.  I thought it looked interesting turned to the side, and I cut out two smaller hearts using the tiny dies from Deer Friend and mounting them on foam tape for dimension.  The background panel was cut using NN Frames and Flags dies....a crafty splurge that I enjoy often!

Thanks for visiting,
Christine

Linking to Inky Paws Challenge (favorite NN stamps)
Word Art Wednesday
Shopping Our Stash (so punny)

Newton's Nook: Thanks a Bunch



Newton's Nook is hosting their 100th Inky Paws Challenge, and they have mixed this one up for even more fun than usual.  I am playing along using the color challenge of my choice, watercoloring Floral Fringe with Arteza Real Brush markers and scattering some sequins around the sentiment.

Thanks to the folks at the Inky Paws challenge for lots of inspiration.  I love to play along every chance I get!

Christine

Linking to:
Inky Paws Challenge 100 (Color)
Word Art Wednesday
PIP Challenge

Monday, June 17, 2019

Mojo Monday 518


School has been out for two weeks, but I felt like summer really started today.  The first week of vacation is always dedicated to preparing for a week of community ministry which occurred last week.   Most of the follow-up for that very blessed time of service is completed, and I finished the last of my professional learning courses this afternoon.

So, I treated myself to a little playtime with the new Mojo Monday sketch, turning Mojo Monday into "oops-it's-Monday"!  I planned to arrange the pretty blooms from Kindness Matters in the place of the square and to replace the descending banner with some Sprightly Sprigs.  Then.....I stamped the sentiment in the lower right hand corner of the striped panel and created a smudge. The flowers found a new home, and the sentiment is inside.  The "cover-up" created a nice card, but I would like to try again and follow the sketch more closely.


Thanks for taking a look at my revisions,
Christine

Linking to:
Mojo Monday
Word Art Wednesday
PIP Challenge
Ellibelle's Wednesday Challenge (Summer Colors)
Crafting by Designs (a/g)

Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Made From Pink Scraps


I am busily involved with a week of community service and have lots of things to give thanks for.  I whipped up a quick little note card using some fun dies and a pile of pink and mint scraps.  So grateful for all the help we've had and for a card that came together quickly.

Dies included:
SSS Heart Doily
PTI Mix and Mat Plaid Die
Newton's Nook Frames and Flags

Thanks for visiting,
Christine

Linking to:
PIP Challenge
Word Art Wednesday

Honorable Mention

Sunday, June 9, 2019

Masculine Thanks

Just sharing a quick thank you card created for a special young man.  He, in fact, is a former student who delivered a wonderful motivational message to the community service group I will be working with next week.  What a blessing to see a student grow into such a fine leader.

Thanks for visiting,
Christine

Linking to
SSS Wednesday Challenge (Masculine)

Saturday, June 8, 2019

Bitty Bouquets: Thanks


When I linked my first Mojo Monday card, this beauty by Wanda Cullen caught my eye.  I was inspired to create a wreath and decided to give it a try with Bitty Bouquets.  What fun!  So grateful for the inspiration in the current Mojo Monday post!

Thanks for visiting,
Christine

Linking to:
Mojo Monday
Word Art Wednesday

You are "owlsome"


Lawn Fawn's "So Owlsome"  is the star of my Father's Day cards this year.  I sized the card to fit Reverse Confetti's Woodgrain panel which was inked with Sahara Sand before cutting from kraft cardstock.  I cut out a little "hollow" using a circle die and popped the main panel on foam tape for a little dimension and tucked some leaves (from my extra bin) between the layers. 

Thanks for visiting,
Christine

Linking to:
SSS Wednesday (Masculine)
Word Art Wednesday

Jeremiah 29:11 for the graduate


I love sharing this scripture with graduates, and it is lettered so beautifully in this retired Verve set.  Included is a solid cross image that perfectly frames the word LORD and makes such a wonderful watermark. 

Also included in the card recipe  are SSS Bold Bold Flowers  and a scattering of  sequins from April Birthstone Sparkle Blend by Doodles Paper Playground.  The sequins were such fun to add to the card, and having a mix of sizes and shapes was really helpful to me. For some reason, I have trouble with random scatterings and can spend more time deciding where to put the sequins than I took to make the card!  The sequins really took the card up a notch!  Many thanks to Amber MacMurty for this wonderful prize!

Thanks for visiting,
Christine

Linking to:
Word Art Wednesday
Ellibelle's Corner (Summer Colors)
A Gem of a Challenge

Friday, June 7, 2019

Eclipse Card: Thanks


Lots of happy mail lately....This card was made especially for the oh-so-talented Kerry Urbatch to thank her for the awesome gift I received from a recent drawing.  Many thanks, Kerry.  I broke out PTI's Bitty Bouquets to try the eclipse technique featured on the Mod Squad challenge blog.  I chickened out and used the heart element for the eclipse technique rather than the word die.  It is definitely a technique I will try again.

So thankful for all my wonderful happy mail and for a chance to stamp a while.

Thanks for taking a peek,
Christine

Linking to Mod Squad Challenge
Word Art Wednesday

Thanks a Latte


After fighting a summer cold in the midst of a very busy week, it's a relief to feel a little better and to sneak in just a little crafty time before getting back to business.

I unboxed a little happy mail and took PTI's What the Doodle: Paisley set for a test drive, creating a background panel for the Mojo Sketch.  Each paisley was inked in the same shades of pink, orange, and yellow used to stencil the bottom strip.

The coffee cup and sentiment are from the  Joy Clair Coffee Lovers  set I won during one of the CLC blog hops.  I did some  paper piecing with a plaid scrap, but it looked a little plain, so I added a flower from the paisley set to adorn the sleeve.

Thanks so much for visiting,
Christine



Linking to:
Mojo Monday
Lisa's CLC Challenge (coffee theme with CLC Prize)
Word Art Wednesday
Ellibelle's Corner (Summer Colors)

Monday, June 3, 2019

May all your wishes come true

Recently, I spent some time getting acquainted with the Fleur Impressions stamp set by Betsey Veldman of The Greetery.  I die cut lots of the various blooms and just enjoyed learning to align the stamps and experimenting with color.  These pieces were left over and made a sweet little corner for this birthday card featuring a retired Verve sentiment.

Thanks for visiting,
Christine

Linking to:
Word Art Wednesday
SSS Wednesday Challenge

Saturday, June 1, 2019

Because He bends down to listen, I will pray


This is such a dear scripture to frame using Floral Sketches.  The focal panel is an oval cut from a Shape Shifters die which is mounted over a plaid panel stamped in Memento Dandelion.  The pretty embellishments are from a Kat Scrappiness prize.

So happy to be enjoying the first day of summer break and playing along with a few challenges while keeping the laundry going.

Christine

Linking to:
Laurie's Fabulous Favorites (Framed Sentiment)
Word Art Wednesday
SSS Wednesday Challenge