Autumn with the Cafe

Hello! I'm here to share a fall theme card with you all. Hopefully you're having gorgeous fall weather where you are, here in Ohio it's rainy, cloudy, yucky :( It's been like this since Friday and it's not supposed to clear out until Wednesday night. Normally I would use this as a good excuse for crafting but unfortunately I have to work.

I created today's card using the colors from The Play Date Cafe's 100th challenge. Congratulations to them :) Here's to 100 more!!

my take

I started by inking my acrylic mount with spiced marmalade, mustard seed, and peeled paint. I spritzed it generously with water then "stamped" onto a piece of white card stock. Once dry I trimmed it down to the desired size (4 x 2 3/4). I stamped the two small leaves with vintage photo and brushed corduroy. To complete the background panel I distressed the edges and inked them with vintage photo.

I stamped the 3 leaves on white and fussy cut them out. I colored them using the same colors as above then inked their edges with vintage photo.

I mounted the panel on a white card base flat, then added my leaves in different dimensions using foam. I tied on some embroidery floss and added a bow. For the sentiment I stamped on white then followed the same pattern I did for the background, distressing and inking. I also mounted it on foam.

To give the card a little something eye catching I coated one leaf (green) in glossy accents and one (yellow) in stardust stickles. All the stamps I used are from Hero Arts Season of Giving Set.

It means so much that you guys pop in to see me, thank you!!

Fall is almost here

Hello friends! Today I have made a card for Lily Pad Cards sketch challenge. It's also my first autumn card of the season! How are you celebrating fall this year? Pumpkin carving or hay rides? I'm hoping to drag my hubby to a train ride through northern Ohio. The leaves changing makes the ride extra special :)

Onto the sketch

my take

I wanted to do something different with the lines, I hope it works :)
I started with a white card base and rounded one corner. I rubbed on antique linen and then used it to stamp the background (Hero Arts, Magical Background) I know it's difficult to see in the photo but it's soft and pretty in real life.

Next I used a scrap piece of white paper and colored it with distress inks. I used peeled paint, vintage photo, fired brick, and scattered straw. Once I was done I stamped the leaves (Hero Arts, Season of Giving) randomly over the entire surface. After I fussy cut them out I had several multi-colored leaves. I adhered the leaves flat in 3 rows on my card base. Because the leaves needed to be grounded somehow I added a maroon gemstone as a connector.

I stamped the sentiment (Hero Arts, Season of Giving) before going any farther since I didn't want my rosette to be in the way (yes, I have made that mistake once or twice lol).

The rosette was created using a 3/4 strip I colored with walnut stain and vintage photo. The heart was die cut (Cricut, George and Basic Shapes_ and colored with barn door, fired brick, and aged mahogany. I covered the heart in glossy accents and added a twine bow to finish.

Thanks for checking me out, you guys make my heart happy :)

Just a Note: Minicards

As promised I am back today with some minicards, this week's challenge oer at CAS-ual Fridays.

Working on a smaller scale is usually more difficult for me but I'm pretty happy with the way these little guys turned out.

You all know how I love, love, love card sets hehe. So of course I couldn't make just one card!

I started but cutting my card base 2 3/4 x 4. Basically I just cut a standard size card in half then trimmed off the last 1/4 to make it 4 inches. ( I hope that makes sense) I cut three 1 x1 white squares for each card and stamped the flower (Hero Arts, Layered Flowers) in different corners. I matted these with a black square.

I stamped the flowers again on white then fussy cut them out. To color I used distress inks (of course!) for the pink: spun sugar, worn lipstick, barn door. Blue: tumbled glass, broken china, faded jeans. Purple: milled lavender, dusty concord, chipped sapphire. Red: barn door, fired brick, aged mahogany. After they were colored I adhered them flat to the previously stamped square and trimmed them so they were flush with the side.

I adhered a 1/2in strip of black on my card base them added my squares with foam adhesive. The sentiment (Hero Arts, Everyday Sayings) was stamped with jet black archival ink (Ranger). I finished the card off by covering the flowers in stardust stickles and adding black enamel accents to the centers.

Thanks for stopping by :)

A Lot of Yellow and a Little Lavender

is how I would describe my card for The Play Date Cafe's color challenge this week. This week's color were really a challenge for me because, well they are my least favorite colors :) I really thought I would use more purple but apparently I was embracing the yellow lol

The inspiration photo

and my card

I kept it super simple today :) It seems like lately I'm keeping it that way a lot. Something about the clean designs really appeals to me.

I stamped the leaves (Hero Arts, Delicate Leaf Clusters) in scattered straw. The sentiment (Hero Arts, Truly Appreciated) is stamped in jet black archival ink (Ranger). To add my lavender I used pearls (Craftaroo).  To keep the card a little interesting I rounded one corner and popped my main panel up on foam.

Tonight my husband and I are concert goers :) He bought me tickets for my birthday and I'm so excited it's finally here!! Foo Fighters Here we come!!

Thanks for stopping by, I'll be back tomorrow with some mini-cards.

Are you ready for some . . .

Masking?!

The challenge over at Wee Memories this week is to create a one layer card.

Just before I started this post I saw sweet Jenny from Wee Memories had posted on facebook that this week's challenge wasn't that popular. WHAT?! I could not disagree more! Is creating a one layer card a little more work? Maybe it is but is creating a dimension card that is completely flat totally freaking awesome? Yes, Yes it is :)

So here is my card

I started my card with a standard sized white card base. I then cut another piece to the "cover" size (5 1/2 x 4 1/4) and centered my die (Spellbinders, Large Labels) before I ran it through my cuttlebug. This way I had two pieces. I laid down the negative on top of my card base then used a black sharpie to trace the outline. Once I had the outline I put the positive in with some repositionable adhesive. This step might have been unnecessary, I probably could of just stuck the positive down and traced around it. However this particular die doesn't keep those nice edges if you trace around them, they get too round.

Once my positive was in place I removed the negative. I stamped my flower (Hero Arts, Large Flower) on scrap paper, fussy cut them out, and applied repositionable adhesive. These are my second masks. I stamped the flower around the card base, masking and stamping to cover the entire thing. For the coloring I wanted bright bold colors so I used markers.

Once colored I removed the mask and stamped my sentiment (Hero Arts, Live & Laugh). Lastly I added good old reliable, stardust stickles.

Thanks for coming over and visiting. Don't let a little more work scare you out of trying a one layer card. Just because its lat doesn't mean it can't be beautiful :)

Thinking of you Lily Pad Challenge

Good Evening! I'm getting this entry in last minute (no surprise there!). If you follow me you know that I ADORE Kathy Racoosin. She has a Color Challenge over at Lily Pad Cards that I absolutely love playing along with. Here are Kathy's  Colors

and this is my card

The sponsor for this challenge is A Day For Daisies. If you are into digital stamps they have such adorable images. Including the one I used on my card called Sleeping Flower.

I printed out the image four times. I like to cut the image apart so I can layer and color how I want to. I also use one of the images on my background so I can out humpty dumpty back together again :)

I colored the entire card with distress inks. I used dried marigold for her skin tone. Brushed corduroy and walnut stain for her hair. Spun sugar, worn lipstick, and barn door for her dress and wings. Scattered straw, spiced marmalade, and rusty hinge to color the flower. For the stem and the background I used Shabby shutters, peeled paint, and forest moss. I wanted this precious fairy to be in a magical forest but I didn't want to clutter up the card and take away from the image so I used my various greens to highlight the center then stamped in my lightest green (shabby shutters) with Hero Arts Magical Background. 

I not usually a border person (unless I'm scrapbooking then . . lookout!) but again this image is so gorgeous on it's own I wanted to make it front and center. I colored the border with worn lipstick and spiced marmalade. The sentiment (Hero Arts, All Occasion Messages) is kept simple (are we noticing a pattern here? :)  on a white banner popped up and scored. The only pop I added was stardust stickles (Totally hooked! Do they have rehab for stardust addicts?!) on the wings. I mean a fairy can't be magical without glitter :)

Thanks for popping in!

Enjoy!

I'm playing along with The Playdate Cafe and the colors are gorgeous!

Here's my card

I started with a white card base which I colored with mustard seed distress ink. I then stamped (Archivers Exclusive Hero Arts Set Mixed Design)  a circle background using more mustard seed. I didn't want the background to be blah but I wanted the flowers to take center stage.

I stamped 15 flowers (Hero Arts, 4 Flowers) on white card stock then fussy cut them out (yes it was crazy). I colored them using tumbled glass and broken china. I used a stencil to draw my heart in pencil on the card base then began filling in my flowers. To create some depth I adhered some flowers flat and some with foam. To complete the flowers I colored some rhinestones navy blue and put them in the centers. I only buy clear rhinestones now because I can color them with alcohol ink (or any sharpie) it saves me tons of money!  

To finish out the card I stamped the sentiment (Hero Arts, Live & Laugh) in jet black archival ink (Ranger).
Thanks for coming over for a visit you all always make my day!

Inspired by Jill Foster

Happy Labor Day Weekend :) I hope you guys are going to have more fun then me, I'm working all three days!

This week on the Penny Black Blog they challenged us to CASE one of the designers cards. I'm sure it won't be a shock that I decided to CASE a card by Jill Foster :) I absolutely love her style! This is Jill's card here.

I love the color scheme she used. Bright colors + Black = Gorgeous!!!

Here is my take

I stamped the star burst (Penny Black, Trims) in Versamark then heat set with white. I used broken china, peeled paint, mustard seed, spiced marmalade, and barn door to create the rainbow background. In order to add some more interest I added black enamel accents on top of the dots of the star burst. I rounded the corners of the panel and added a black border.

For the center I die cut (Spellbinders, Labels 8) my label then stamped the sentiment (Penny Black, To You) in jet black archival ink (Ranger). To add a little bit of bling like Jill has on her card I outlined my label with black diamond stickles. Once dry I added my label with foam tape to my black cardstock banner. I adhered the whole panel with foam tape to a white cardbase.

Thanks for stopping by, if you have the time stop over to the Penny Circle on Flickr. Talk about inspiration :)

September Sketch

Hello Hello!

So after my extremely busy July my Mojo fled for August :( Hopefully it's back now for a long stay!

I can't believe summer is nearly over, but to be honest I'll be happy to leave all these crazy thunderstorms behind.
Today I am playing along with Lily Pad Cards Greeting Farm Sketch challenge. I don't own any Greeting Farm stamps but they are super cute and would love to add them to my collection!!

Here is the sketch

and my card

I started by die cutting my oval and it's border (Cricut, George and Basic Shapes). I stamped the Poppy (Hero Arts, Delicate Blossoms) on the smaller oval. I stamped it again on another piece of white to color. I used scattered straw, worn lipstick, and spiced marmalade with my H20 pen. Once they dried I fussy cut them out. I colored the leaves and stems with a olive colored sharpie. Before I glued the flowers to my oval I added some antique linen around the edges.

For the back ground I stamped the Large Fabric Design (Hero Arts) in Versamark then heat set with white embossing powder. I randomly rubbed on the same distress inks I used to color the flowers. When doing this resist make sure you use a baby wipe to buff your embossed areas, this make sure they are really white. I rounded the top left and bottom right corners of my background panel and the white card base. I adhered all the elements flat.

To finish I added two hemp bows and stardust stickles to the flower petal edges. The sentiment (Hero Arts, All Occasion Messages) is stamped in jet black archival ink (Ranger)

Thanks for hanging in there with me the last few months. I am so grateful you all stop by to see me :) Hopefully we'll be seeing more of each other soon!!