Krafty Clown

Wahoo! Had some time to work on a few more UFOs from my craft desk. I colored a sheet of Rick St. Dennis’s amazing clown images months ago and finally got one of them on a card. I rarely color with anything but Copics and had Kohi-nohr pencils in my supplies begging to be used. I like the look of the pencils on Kraft paper and opted to just leave them ‘rough’ instead of any blending.

I'm blessed to me the other half of a part time clown and can't resist playing in his clown kit when he's not looking. 

Sketch Inspiration ~ I{heart}sketches ~ September Sketch

Inspiration

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge #122 ~ Photo Inspiration

Party Time Tuesday Challenge #35 ~ Anything Goes
365 Cards Day 122 ~ Feeling Fuzzy (I added pom poms to make fuzzy buttons on his suit)
365 Cards Day 131 ~ Wishing On A Star (I have star accents)
365 Cards Day 208 ~ Funny Masculine Style Clowns always make me smile, and this is perfect for my husband who happens to BE a part time clown!
Aud Sentiments Challenge #38 ~ Happy Birthday

My Creation

Image Detail

Ins and Outs ~ Krafty Clown
Stamps: Rick St. Dennis Clown Sheet
Paper: Kraft, DCWV All About Boys Stack
Ink: Kohinohr Colored Pencils
Accessories: Pom Poms, Corner Rounder

Brayered Sympathy

This card uses a new technique to me and just might get me to break out the brayer more often.

Sketch Inspiration ~ 365 Cards Day 146 ~ Super Sketchy Sunday

Color Inspiration ~ SUO Challenge #28 ~ Fall Colors

Inspiration
Fall Challenges: Paper Pretties Challenge #172, Paper Pretties Monday Challenge, 4 Crafty Chicks Challenge, Delightful Sketches, Crafty Catz Challenge #101

Fab n’ Funky Challenge #91 ~ A Hard Theme
Sympathy cards are always hard for me to create and this was a totally new technique for me as well.
Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge ~ Try a New Technique
I’ve seen lots of neat brayered backgrounds, but never tried them. For this card I masked off the sun and brayered ink over the cardstock. I inked up the stamp with my SU Markers and stamped over the brayered ink. I like the ‘fuzzy’ effect and think its works nicely for a sympathy card.

My Creation

Image Detail

Ins and Outs ~ Brayered Sympathy
Stamps: SU Inspired By Nature
Paper: SU Apricot Appeal, Pumpkin Pie, Always Artichoke
Ink: SU Always Artichoke, Tangerine Tango; SU Markers
Accessories: Brad, Liquid Pearls Buttercup
Techniques: Brayering, Masking

Button Frenzy

This card originated at a free class my public library offered a few months ago. It was a bit of a cluster since there was only 1 Big Shot and 1 Button Die for about 15 people to use (in addition to the 4 other cards we were making). Each button consists of 4 layers which meant 4 passes through the Big Shot. The sample was completely different than what I created. I used a lunch break to pop in and crank out my buttons and opted to maximize my effort and create multiple shapes and sizes using the other pieces of the dies. The original just used the small square button.

I guess you could say I got a ‘tad’ bit frenzied with my button making and piled them all onto the card.

Sketch Inspiration ~ Midnight Madness Sketch #78

Color Inspiration ~ 365 Cards Day 110 ~ Mega Movie Saturday
The colors from the movie poster inspired me.

Inspiration

Really Reasonable Ribbon Challenge # ~ Autumn I used autumn colors in my card.
My Time to Craft Challenge #158 ~ L is for…
I used LAYERS of LOVELY buttons
365 Cards Day 59 ~ Getting ‘Kraft’y
365 Cards Day 81 ~ Asymetry
365 Cards Day 84 ~ Monday Prompt: Ruffles I tried to ‘ruffle’ my ribbon.
365 Cards Day 93 ~ Bulletin Board
The Kraft background is inspired by cork, I handwrote the sentiment to indicate a note pinned to a bulletin board, and the buttons made me think of cute push pins.
365 Cards Day 94 ~ Button Blitz
Use 20+buttons and stack at least 6 of them

My Creation

Image Detail

I added glossy accents to the buttons for a realistic look.

Inside

Ins and Outs ~ Button Frenzy
Stamps: None
Paper: SU, Kraft
Ink: SU Basic Black Marker
Accessories: SU Button Die, SU Ribbon, Glossy Accents

Flower Pot Gratitude

I’ve been spending some time in my studio cleaning, purging, and organizing. It cuts into my getting inky time, but thankfully I found a few unfinished card class cards I could tweak into complete.

Sketch Inspiration ~ Midnight Madness Sketch #122
As soon as I saw the sketch I thought of a basket. After digging through my stash, I realized I didn’t have a basket, so I went with a flower pot instead.

 

Inspiration

Shopping Our Stash Challenge ~ No Coloring Allowed
The flowers are just inked and stamped, no extra coloring added.
Little Red Wagon Challenge ~ Repeat After Me I used the flower image 3 times.
Simon Says Challenge…..Dies to Die For
I used a border punch on the flower pot and a label punch on the verse.
Totally PaperCrafts Challenge #85 ~ Thank You
365 Cards Day 140 ~ Raised Up (Pop up some of the main image)
365 Cards Day 178 ~ Buried Deep
I used my Eyelet Border and Modern Label punches for the first time!

My Creation

Image Detail

Ins and Outs ~ Flower Pot Gratitude
Stamps: SU Curly Cute, Array of Sunshine
Paper: SU (Whisper White, Poppy Parade)
Ink: SU (Baja Breeze, Poppy Parade, So Saffron)
Accessories: SU (Pearls, Eyelet Border Punch, Modern Label Punch, Poppy Parade Stitched Poly Ribbon)

Girlie Goldilocks

I love little girls! I’m auntie to some amazing cherubs and proud godmother as well. Mr. Gears’ side of the family has an abundance of estrogen as well so we always needs little girl birthday cards. This week at One Stop Craft Challenge Shelley had the DT create Girlie cards. Our sponsor, Sassy Studio Designs, has some GREAT girlie images. Join us this week and you could win some of your own!

Sketch Inspiration ~ Midnight Madness Sketch #121

Color Inspiration ~ Sweet n’ Sassy Digi Challenge #20 Photo Inspiration
I found inspiration in the birthday theme, the curly haired girl, the dots on the balloons (I used buttons) and the red and white banner (I created bars of DP).

Inspiration
My Time to Craft Challenge #157 ~ Kaleidoscope of Color
The Crazy Challenge #84 ~ Birthdays
Totally Stampalicious Challenge ~ Anything Goes
Top Tip Tuesday Challenge #51 ~ Birthday Time
Inky Impressions Challenge #24 ~ Dress to Impress
Delightful Sketches Challenge ~ Girly Girl
365 Card Day 99 ~ It’s My Party

Simon Says Challenge…..Sing It (Thank Heaven for Little Girls from the movie Gigi)
365 Cards Day 98 ~ Lucky 13 I have 13 buttons on my card.
My Creation

TIP – A quick tip to add dimension to your card without much fuss. Instead of trying to fussy cut and color multiple pieces of an image, opt to pop up some of the elements on your card. Here I used pop up dots to raise the entire image panel and one of the patterned paper strips. When I made my button collage I used pop dots on a few of them also. You get some wow factor with just a bit of foam.

Image Detail

I had fun playing with Copics and tried something different for Goldilocks hair. I like the contrast, but can’t decide if I gave her a bad ‘frost’ job (do people still do that or is it just called highlights now) or if she has a massive root touch-up required. LOL.

Inside

Ins and Outs ~ Girlie Goldilocks
Stamps: Sassy Studio Designs Goldilocks Honey
Paper: DCWV All About Girls stack, SU Whisper White
Ink: Laser Printer; Copics (Dress: R000, 02, 11, BG05; Hair: Y00, 21, E13, 15; Skin: E51, 53, 55, 81)
Accessories: Misc Buttons, Pop Up Dots

Pink Cat Studios Graduate Billy

Some people work on building their stash of Christmas cards throughout the year, but I seem to do that for Graduation cards. I always need a handful and they are big sellers at the office come May. If I don’t spread out the graduate love, I get a bit burnt out with caps and gowns in the spring.

Sketch Inspiration ~ Midnight Madness Sketch #106

Inspiration

Creative Stamp Friends Challenge #33 ~ Card for a Man
Cupcake Craft Challenge #159 ~ Back to School
Party Time Tuesday Challenge #33 ~ Ribbon Trim Fibers
The bottom background panel is a wide ribbon, not DP.
Creative Inspirations Challenge #129 ~ Anything Goes

My Creation

Image Detail

Ins and Outs ~ Pink Cat Studios Graduate Billy
Stamps: Pink Cat Studios Graduation Billy
Paper: DCWV, SU Whisper White
Ink: Laser Printer; Copics (C5, 7, 100; E00, 21, 29, 37, 49; YR00; B32, 34; R29)
Accessories: Walmart Ribbon, My Minds Eye Cap die cut

Flourished Birthday Greetings

I found some time this week to work on my stack of UFOs (unfinished objects). The new challenge is to find time to take photos, edit them and get a blog post up. The other challenge is to keep the cat herd from turning them into cat toys. I’ve come home to find spools of ribbon untwined, cards set out to dry now picked apart or dragged around the house. Anyone with pets, especially cats, can relate that whatever belonging you have in your house is really just a toy for the fur babies. This card started as a card kit, but I had to tweak it a bit.

Sketch Inspiration ~ 365 Cards Day 124 ~ Sketch from a Card

Color Inspiration ~ The Crafty Pad Challenge #138 ~ Goodbye Summer (Autumn Colors)

This flower and the colors remind me of the marigolds at all the greenhouses this time of year.
Inspiration
365 Cards Day 66 ~ DIY Patterned Paper

I tried something new and created 2 embossed patterns on regular cardstock instead of using ink.
I Did it Creations Challenge #72 ~Anything Goes
Pile it On Challenge #37 ~ Layer It
Lollipop Crafts Challenge ~ Use Eyelets or Brads
Fab n’ Funky Challenge #90 ~ Bingo
I actually have a double link, but will claim STAMPED IMAGE, 3 LAYERS, DIE CUTS
Paper Play Challenge #37 ~ Punches and Dies

My Creation

 

Image Detail

Ins and Outs ~ Flourished Birthday Greetings
Stamps: SU
Paper: SU, TPS
Ink: SU
Accessories: SU Embossing Folders, brad and ribbon, SU Punch, Flower Die

Vintagey Snapdragons

I needed to make a quick sympathy card for a friend of my husbands. They are my least favorite cards to make, but having been on the receiving end of far too many; I know how meaningful they can be. Since the topic is challenging for me, I thought I'd 'try' to get a bit of a vintage feel to the card (one of my biggest craft theme challenges). I kept things clean and simple and used what I consider vintage-y colors. The pale yellows, pinks and dusty blue.

Sketch Inspiration ~ 365 Cards Day 184 ~ White Space

Color Inspiration ~ 365 Cards Day 192

Inspiration

Copic Creations Challenge #57 ~ Pretty in Pink
The Pink Elephant Challenge #116 ~ Vintage
365 Cards Day 171 ~ Vintage Plus Pink
365 Cards Day 175 ~ Mixed Drinks: Strawberry Lemonade
Stamp Something Challenge ~ Anything Goes
Everybody Art Challenge #159 ~ Flowers

My Creation

Image Detail

Inside

I used a sticker from my stash for a quick and easy verse.

Ins and Outs ~ Vintagey Snapdragons
Stamps: Doodle Pantry Snapdragons
Paper: SU Whisper White, DCWV Base, Linen Closet Stack
Ink: Laser Printer; Copics(Y00, 02; YR30; BG96; G82; R00, 11, 20, 22)
Accessories: SU Grosgrain Pink Ribbon, Button, Pop Up Dots, Sticker Verse

Book Ants Go to School

This card was made for my regional library organization as a thank you. I'm on my county library board and the regional system went above and beyond to gain additional materials for our local libraries. Thank you is one of the simplest things to say, yet so often we fail to do so. I was happy to make a card to sent them from our Board to let them know our appreciation. I pulled inspiration from several great blogs to direct my creativity.

Sketch Inspiration ~ Midnight Madness Sketch #120

Color Inspiration ~ 365 Cards Day 15 ~ Color Scheme

Inspiration

Cupcake Craft Challenge ~ Back to School
Papertake Weekly Challenge ~ Anything Goes
Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge ~ Back to School
Doodle Pantry Challenge #16 ~ Use a DP Image
365 Cards Day 142 ~ Imagine This: Earth I don't have any 'earth' specific stamps so I went with an earthy feel in my colors and image.
365 Cards Day 172 ~ Vintage Plus Green Vintage is my downfall, I admit it; so a whole week of vintage challenges at 365 made me break out in hives. I'll try to slowly get through them. :o) I used what I consider vintage colors, albeit a tish drab.
Allsorts Challenge #120 ~ Flowers and Swirls
Truly Scrumptious Challenge #65 ~ Decorate the Inside of Card
My Creation

Image Detail

Colored with Copics and used a gold glitter pen for accents on the book and Glossy Accents over the ant bodies (doesn't show in the photo very well, but lovely in real life).

Inside

Ins and Outs ~ Book Ants Go to School
Stamps: Doodle Pantry Book Ants
Paper: SU Whisper White, DCWV Mariposa
Ink: Laser Printer, Copics (Ants: N3, 5, 9; Books/Grass:E01, 50, 53,55; G40, 82, 85); Martha Stewart Glitter Pen (Gold, Red)
Accessories: EK Success Flourish Stickers, Paper Flowers, Glossy Accents

Baby Elephant Card

This card was supposed to be posted last night for the awesome Midnight Madness challenge, but day 8 of work in a row took it's toll and I crashed instead of blogging. I've got 4 more days until a day off but couldn't stay away from blogland tonight. This was a super quick and easy card, perfect for a baby shower. The pink heart gem was an afterthought. I tried to use a Spica to add a bit of glitz to the image, and forgot they don't work well with water based inks. The heart from the image bled a bit, so I got creative with a cover-up.

Sketch Inspiration ~ Midnight Madness Sketch #119

Inspiration

Fab N Funky Challenge #88 ~ Go Mad with Embossing
Rainbow Lady’s Challenge #168 ~ Let’s Emboss It
Shopping our Stash Challenge #16 ~ Birds Bugs Beasts – No People
Ellephantastic September Challenge ~ Here Come the Girls
The Crazy Challenge #83 ~Stripes and Spots
365 Cards Day 56 ~ Big Announcement (convey big news prominently on front of card)
365 Cards Day 166 ~ 30 Minutes or Less

My Creation

Image Detail

Ins and Outs ~ Baby Elephant Card
Stamps: SU Baby Steps
Paper: SU CS (Very Vanilla, Pretty in Pink, Concord Crush, Basic Grey), SU Lap of Luxury DP
Ink: SU Concord Crush
Accessories: SU Scallop Edge Punch, Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Ribbon

Hoppy-ness on the Scale

This card has been bouncing around for a LONG time. I'm still working through some of the old Midnight Madness Sketches and this was a doozy for me. I actually kept all the elements, but it wasn't easy! Pink is such a cheery color and the Happy Hoppers image just makes me smile.

Sketch Inspiration ~ Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge #55

Color Inspiration ~ Pink Gem Challenge #29

Inspiration

Mad for Markers September Challenge ~ Spring Inspired
4 Crafty Chicks Challenge ~ CELEBRATE
OWH Birthday Bash Day 3 ~ We R Keeping an Eye on You (eyelets)
By the Cute and Girly September Challenge ~ All Things Bright and Beautiful
Bright beautiful colors.
365 Cards Day 40 ~ Clever Coloring
Use 4 ways to color an image (Copics, Spicas, Gel Pen, Glossy Accents)
365 Cards Day 187 ~ Past Present Future
Tool from past – Cropodile; Present Favorite Color – Pink, Future Theme in Your Life – Dieting
Stamptacular Sunday Challenge #127 ~ The Sky’s the Limit (anything goes)
Kaboodle Doodles Challenge #33 ~ Ric Rac, Fabric or Lace
The Fuzzy Wuzzy Challenge ~ Pink
My Creation

Image Detail

Inside

Ins and Outs ~ Hoppy-ness on the Scale
Stamps: House Mouse Light as a Feather (Stampabilities)
Paper: DCWV Sweet, SU Whisper White, Bazzill
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Copics (C00, 1, 3, 5; E30, 31, 41, 50; R00, 81; RV09, 14); Spicas (Silver, Pitch Black), White Gel Pen
Accessories: Making Memories Eyelets, Embroidery Floss, Fringe Ribbon, Tulle, Glossy Accents

Back to School with Primary Colors at the OSCC

While I normally love holiday weekends, this one has been a whirlwind. Mr. Gears had minor surgery on Friday and will be laid up for a few weeks. As the luck of the draw would have it, it's also my work weekend. So, I've been trying to make sure the Mr is set up for the day and then head out to work. Definitley no crafting going on for my Labor Day and barely any computer time either. :o( I won't pout for too long, it doesn't take much for me to quickly count the many blessings I've been granted.

This week at One Stop Crafts, Shelley has us all in the mood for school. Digi Doodles, our sponsor, has some great images for kids and school. I created a card for my neighbor boy who just completed a summer program complete with a mini graduation ceremony. I hope you'll be inspired to join us or any of the other great challenges that inspired me!

Sketch Inspiration ~ 365 Cards Day 104 ~ Super Sketchy Sunday

Color Inspiration ~ Paper Pretties Monday Challenge ~ Primary Colors

Inspiration

One Stop Craft Challenge #147 ~ Back to School with Primary Colors
Anything Goes: Party Time Tuesdays #31, Charisma Cardz Challenge #35; Creative Card Crew Challenge
Do You Stack Up Challenge #35 ~Friendly Critters Normally I don't cozy up to worms, but this guy is so cute I might just stop to say hello.
Stamp Something Challenge ~September Digi Day
The Stamping Boutique Challenge #14 ~ Back to School
365 Cards Day 82 ~ Caught in a Corner use 12x12 scrapbook paper

My Creation

Image Detail

I had fun playing with my Copics and trying to achieve shadows in the image.

Inside

A few more scraps of paper and stickers finish off the inside.

Ins and Outs ~ Worm Graduate
Stamps: Digi Doodles Bookworm
Paper: SU, DCWV, OTC
Ink: Laser Printer; Copics (Worm: Y11, 15, 19; Book: B21, 24, 28, E41, 43; Apple: G12, 14, 17, R20, 24, 29); Gold Marker
Accessories: Creative Memories Corner Rounder, Ribbon