Sending sunshine is easy

Entering my card in

Simon Says Challenge: Ray Of Sunshine

 I love beautiful papers like this one from the ‹Indigoblu Floral Vignettes - Mixed Media Paper Pad because all I had to do was sew some french knots in the sunflowers for some dimension.  I also added some pen work around the edges of the card with my Signo Uniball pen and my Micron pen. The sentiment was printed out on my computer and then cut out.

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I love easy! Don't you?

Thank you!

I love the Unity challenges because they offer a variety of stimulating ideas to inspire you like a color challenge, a card and a LO sketch inspiration. Something for everyone!

I thought I would do the card sketch for my inspiration, so I pulled out my Unity stamps and decided that this version would work nicely for my thank you card using the Wonderful Owl stamp.

And my card inspired from the above sketch:

And yes, you are some kind of wonderful, thank you for visiting my blog!

I love puns!

entering my card in

Word Art Wednesday - #177 - A Family Friendly Challenge

It has been such a joy to find an art form that has brought me so much happiness. Being on the Arnold Grummer paper making team has done that. I simply love making paper and finding new ways to create something, is exciting. I'll have to do a DT post on this soon because by using the deckle division method when making paper you can create fun backgrounds to design your card on. The sun, the grass and the sky are all created using that method. The cows are a stamp that I cut out and adhered to the card along with the sentiment that I printed off my computer. A little bit of hand sewing and outlining the card with a pen finish it off.

Three Cute Cows stamp by Great Impressions

completed mission!

I have just blatantly stolen a card idea from I'm in Haven, so I am linking my card back to her and am not entering it in any challenges, but it was just too perfect to not try and duplicate. Now I didn't have any of her die cuts or stamps but I made the best with what I could do. I love it!

I was going to link up Sue T.'s blog because her card gave me the inspiration to make my snowflake card but I cannot access her blog. :( Although I have seen this in many cards lately, so either it's a new trend or I am just lagging behind!

I resorted to casing my own cards last night as my deadline was approaching fast. lol At least I don't have to credit anyone.....oh wait....I guess I did credit myself, lmao

I also got REAL clean and simple....also known as fast and easy on this card.

And I took apart a sympathy card that didn't sell and used the feather on this card along with scraps of paper. Yeah, I'm not above remaking my own cards if they don't move!

So there you have it, 14 cards in 6 days ( aka my completed mission )....plus during the week I made a journal page and lots of paper molded charms but you will see those at a later date. Now to head off to the Art MoB and refill my inventory for the New Year. I've also added a basket of 40 "love" cards for a reduced price and switched out the "hello" cards for Valentine Day cards. whew....lots to do!

2 cards and a plethora of challenges!

Hope you're ready for some Thank You cards, because I need to make 10 of them before Friday! Yikes!!

Word Art Wednesday - #165 Anything Goes

So I thought I was done for the night but then I noticed a spelling error! UGH!! Then you have to decide, trash it? re-do it? or fix it somehow!

I ended up with the last option, hope it looks as good....OK, maybe not, but the spelling for the word "kindness" is corrected anyway! lol

For the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge -  Something New
I used my new Akashiya Sai Japenese Watercolor Brush pens, (they have a remarkably fine tip) to color in the image. There is a learning curve to using them!


Angie Blom - Array of Bottles stamp
Close to my heart - butterfly stamp ( old )

MFT Card Challenge - First Sketch Challenge
So happy to see Susan Opel back in action with the blog My Favorite Things

And this is my take on the sketch:

Teresa Collins - You are my Happy papers, letters and memo circle

P.S, I just love the word plethora, Isn't it a fun word?

Thank you card

This winter I won't mind staying indoors because I will have my Arnold Grummer's Paper Making Kit to play with. You may think it sounds a bit crazy, but trust me on this one....recycling paper is addicting! On this card I used some scraps of metallic wrapping paper, and all I can say is.....oooooooh...aaaaaaaahhhhh....lol

seriously

All my paper ( except for the base card stock ) was hand made and oh does it sparkle! I just love the teeny tiny gold flecks and the feel of the paper.

house stamp - Susan K. Weckesser Tumbleweed Houses

( all other stamps are old and discontinued )

entering my Thank you card in

Simon Wednesday challenge - Winter Inspiration

I thank you for your kindness...

I admit, I love challenges and Unity has great ones because they give you different things to choose from. I seem to veer towards the color challenges the most....but that's just me.

I loved this saying by Joanna Fuchs :)

I used my Inktense pencils and Pitt Pens to color in the images and a Sakura glitter pen to add some silver embellishment.

One of a Kind Winter

Simon Says...We're seeing stars

I'm not much of a star person and I don't know why, but I'm just not.

So I wasn't sure how I would approach this challenge: but challenges are a good thing, they make you stretch.

I'm all for stretching.

I ran across this scrap piece of paper and thought...perfect!

It inspired me to take out my Susan K. Weckesser stamp: One of a Kind Winter and create this little thank you card, perfect for the upcoming season to send to a friend to warm their heart.

I like to employ a technique I call sinking.

Which means cutting or tearing a slit into the paper and sliding your embellishment into the slot to give it an easy dimensional appearance.

I also like to roll my paper edges for a little texturing.

I finished the cutie of a snowman off by coloring it in with my Pitt Pens and adding a little stickles to his buttons and of course adding some penned shading with my Pigma Sensei Magna pens. And since I cut my image out I double stamped him so I wouldn't have to bother with fussy cutting the fringes and the tiny stick arms out.

I think he will find a friend who will love him, don't you?

paraphernalia: noun

accessory items 

pronunciation

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You got some time to enter the Frosted Designs challenge: My Favorite Things

You need to use at least 3 of things that are underlined from the song from The Sound of Music.

I used, brown paper ( branch ), wings ( bird ) and silver white ( flower )

I used the Printshop cardstock stickers to create a background, which I separated the thanks and outlined it so it would stand out. The printed background paper came from the November Mixed Media Kit and the eye is a Maya Road resin flower.

other assorted paraphernalia:

The chipboard bird was gifted to me

Cricut - French Manor ( branch ), p. 39

Helmar - 450 Quick Dry Adhesive

Also entering my thank you card in:

Cute Card Thursday - #301 Anything Goes

Challenges 4 Everybody - #36 Anything Goes

repertoire: noun

a supply of skills, devices, or expedients; broadly : amount, supply

pronunciation

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Moxie Fab - Tuesday Trigger: A Painterly Palette

I loved the circles and colors, would love to have all those soft shades of paint too....mmm

~yummy~

I used a stamp in the center which I colored in with my glaze pens and then embellished it with little drops of gem stones.

Studio G - stamp

Sakura - Glaze pens

Faber Castell - PITT pen

Helmar - Gemstone Adhesive

all the cardstock came from my stash

Here's to a yummy day filled with a Painterly Palette for all of us!

fard: verb

To paint (the face) with cosmetics
pronunciation
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Electric Paperie - eTeam picks challenge

Teresa Jaye picked the challenge this go around and it is

Use Papers from your Kitchen in a Collage

hmmm? I knew I had napkins I could use for this challenge because I collect and hoard napkins like I do pretty scrapbook paper, lol 

So I chose this one, because it had a retro funky feel to it.

I didn't intend for this to be so Autumn looking...but the turkey along with the color combination really brings that out. Maybe because I had Shaz's color challenge on my mind is the reason I took out this napkin to use but I did try and make it not so Thanksgiving looking by adding one of my favorite sentiments:

I dream of a better world where a chicken can cross the road

without his motives being questioned.

I used some Gelli print paper for the word strips, ( love the color layers ) and painted the background out first with acrylic paint and then added a layer of twinkling H2o's over it.

I used a pearl pen for the outlining and doodling of the edges, I love that you can get different effects from this particular pen. If I lay down the dots and then gently tap my board on my table top, the drops flatten out ( inside the turkey's body ) but if I leave them alone they hardened to a nice raised edged ( the outlines and drops ).

also entering this in:

Sparkles Monthly Challenge - #46 Autumn Colors

Apple Barrel - acrylic paint

Viva Décor - Pearl pen

Copics -marker

LuminArte' - Twinkling H20's

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Paper Smooches -  July 22-28 Picture Perfect challenge

I was very drawn to the colors and to the sun, so I spritzed my background with 2 shades of ink to simulate the sun, and since it was a beach picture I was inspired to use the cute little whale. The front of the card was run through the computer to print out the sentiment.

After stamping, coloring and cutting him out I sliced my paper and slid him into the water, I could have masked it but I preferred the paper piecing route. I really like a little dimension on my cards.

Paper Smooches - Surf and Turf stamp set

Ranger - Dylusion ink sprays, Distress stains

StazOn ink

pattern paper - misc. from stash

Capraesque: adjective

From Frank Capra (1897-1991) American

Think: celebration and eventual triumph of the average guy, sentimentalism.

(Probably the first nonactor movie director to be known by the general public.)

pronunciation

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Paper Smooches - July 15-21 Cool Shades challenge

  

Craftin Desert Diva's - Summer Linky Party #10

I started my card off with a piece a watercolor paper, spritzed it lightly with water and then gave it one good shot of ink spray, took a paper towel and dabbed away the outside edges leaving me with a focal point for the camp fire.

 I was a little stumped at first with how to create the fire staying within the color parameters, because I wanted to add oranges and yellow to the flames. Then it hit me on the head like a bottle of V-8...paper piecing! So I stamped the image first on grey paper for the logs, then 4 more times for the flames. Cut out the flames and adhered them with LSD for dimension. I used the same pen to color them in, just layered the ink for different intensity levels.

The marsh mellows are paper pieced too, I wanted to make sure I had a piece of the cream white for the color scheme.

Paper Smooches - Happy Camper stamp set

Tattered Angels - Midnight Blue Glimmer Mist

Faber Castell - PITT pen, pale geranium lake ( pretty name for red, huh? )

Helmars - Liquid Scrapdots

Petunia Bounce - font

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cardabilities - Sketch #79-Design Team Reveal 

and

House of Cards - Classic & Elegant

also in:
Creative Inspirations - Inspired by: Ribbon and Bling
Moxie Fab - Tuesday Trigger

The water feature is reflecting an arc of light across the picture, I should know better than to photograph out there in the afternoon. I will replace the picture tomorrow with a better one.
UPDATE: New picture, goes to show you that it is important to pay attention to what time of day is the best time to take photos!

DCWV - Homespun Card Stack, glitter paper
Prima - Candy Gems Carmel Apple
Helmar - 450

Dandelion: noun

Behold the dandelion, a lowly plant with a kingly name.

Does the yellow flower resemble a handsome mane? Do the sharply indented leaves suggest an accompanying bite?

For the French, they did.

Dandelion comes from dent de lion, which literally means "lion's tooth."

pronunciation

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Challenges 4 Everybody - #24 Anything Goes

365 Cards - Day 187 Stamp it All

Creative Inspirations - Anything Goes

Faber Castell - 'Take the Challenge' with Mou in July

( My card is inspired by the beach, which is where I'll be going at the end of August. )

 

For the background I lightly spritzed my water color paper with water and covered it with the gelatos and then spread it out by rubbing in small circles to remove the streakiness. I used a mixture of Blueberry and Mint together. After it dried I ran it through the printer for the sentiment.

 

 I cut along the edge of the waves so the little crab can be seen coming up through the ocean to lend a hand to his feathered friend, after all, we all need someone at some time to go the extra mile and support us in our time of trouble.

The crab and sandpiper were stamped, colored, and then fussy cut out.

 

Paper Smooches - Surf and Turf stamp

Faber Castell - metallic gelatos, PITT pens

monger: noun

broker, dealer — usually used in combination

 

a person who attempts to stir up or spread something that is usually petty or discreditable — usually used in combination

 

pronunciation

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Ch# 13 Red, White and Blue

Begins: Monday, Jun 24

Ends: Sunday, Jul 7

Sponsor: CTMH, Lucy Kelleher http://lucyk.ctmh.com/

Prize: (prize to be announced)

(must have USA address)

 

 

Every time I get my Genuinely Jane Studios products ( fabulous store btw ) I always take out the GJS postcard and fussy cut out Jane. She is way too cute and I just love to use her. I cut a small slit in her hand so that I could slide the toothpick flag in.

 

entering this tag in:

 

Genuinely Jane Studio - June Challenge

Creative Inspirations - Inspired by Red, White Blue

 

Bo Bunny - rub ons, stickers

Cricut - Stretch Your Imagination, p. 80 ( tag )

stichomythia: noun

dialogue especially of altercation or dispute delivered by two actors in alternating lines
 (as in classical Greek drama)
pronunciaton
( some words are more fun to pronounce, just wish I had a way to use them )
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digi image + color inspiration + a sketch = a fun card!

Digi Haven - Anything Goes
Inkspirational - #23

combined with:
365 Cards - Day 153  Super Sketchy Sunday

gives me this:

I used the stains and inks to color everything. I have grown quite addicted to this technique and prefer them over water colors. I cut around the little crabs claws so that I could slide the thank you card into them. I think it's cute to have such a little guy offering up huge thanks!

Ranger - Distress Stain, Distress Marker, Dylusional Spray

Paper Smooches - Surf and Turf stamps
Faber Castell - PITT pen
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Over at A Journal of a Lazy Dieter I am dicussing my need to change my body image perspective to something more realistic. If you do pop over there to read it, please give me a "like" to let me know I am not crazy! lol