Monday, November 17, 2014

Time-Saving Cards - Set 2


"Cats are kindly masters, just so long as you remember your place."
                                                                                           ------------Paul Gray


Hi, Friends.......

I am back with my LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAST post of my 5 for 5 post marathon!!!!  Yay!!!




These all have been part of Jennifer Grace's Frosty Festivities 2014 Linky party which will be closing in a few hours, hopefully while I am sleeping!!!  Ha....fat chance!

I want to thank Jennifer, once again, for all the fun I've had enjoying her projects and participating in the challenges.  I wish so much I would have had time to do more of them.......but real life has a knack of getting in the way of fun, doesn't it?


This last cheery set of cards was again inspired by the Time-Saving Cards post by Louise, one of Jennifer's guests during the Frosty Festivities. My other set was white embossed on kraft and this uses the same s-n-o-w-flack (Darn it!  I thought if I carefully spelled out the snow, I'd be home free!!  Ha.) snowflake background, but I used some very special white embossing powder for this.  It is Wow! White Puff Powder.  LOVE  LOVE LOVE it!!!!  This was part of prize from Wow! (THANKS, Wow!!!) and it is PERFECT for snowflakes.  I wish you could see the soft raised puffy matte texture better in my photos.



Again, I used a couple Echo Park collections for the stickers, etc:  This & That and Very Merry Christmas.  I just realized I forgot to mention that I had splattered some shimmer mist on the cardstock (this red and the kraft in the previous post) before I did the s.f.'s.  (Not taking chances with typing it out this time!!)  You can kind of see the splotches here.  The s.f.'s look a lot nicer than the shimmer splatters.


I used various cords, twine, and metallic gold thread for bows.


These also will be going to the Caring Hearts Card Drive 2014.

I'm tired.  I'm done.  I'm going to bed.  Thanks so much for joining me for this marathon!!!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this set of cards in the following challenges:
1.  Frosty Festivities 2014 Linky Party 

2.  My Craft Creations New challenge 10/11-22/11/2014 - Anything Goes
3.  Word Art Wednesday Challenge #158 - Anything Goes
4.  Bunny Zoe's Crafts Nov. Challenge - Snow 

5.  We Dobadoo Challenge #19 - Christmas
 
And......Caring Hearts Card Drive (not a challenge, but there are prizes!!!)

Time-Saver Cards - Set 1


"With dogs and people, it's love in big splashy colors.  When you're involved with a cat, you're dealing in pastels."
                                                                           ------------Louis J. Camuti

Hi, Friends......

I am starting to feel the fatigue here during my all-night marathon of posting!!!  I am on post number 4 of 5.  But I am determined to get this done before I go to bed!!
 

These posts are part of the Linky party at Jennifer Grace's Frosty Festivities 2014.  It's only open for a few more hours, but I hadn't been able to craft much this week and so this was my all evening/all night crafting and posting extravaganza!  Hey, I live in Idaho.  It doesn't take much to get me excited!!!  Ha!



This warm little set of cards was inspired by the Time-Saving Cards post by Louise, one of Jennifer's guests during the Frosty Festivities.  I am using some other Echo Park collections this time:  This & That and Very Merry Christmas.



I Versamarked a snot  snor  snowflake (Yes, definitely getting tired!  I'm not making those typos up...I really did those very ones by accident!!!  Hahaha!) background onto kraft and heat embossed it with white.  Then I applied the stickers and embellishments.



I love the look of white on kraft, but rarely use it.  So glad I did on these!!!


These will go to the Caring Hearts Card Drive 2014, also.
The later it gets, the shorter the posts get!  
ONLY ONE MORE POST TO GO...............!!!!!!!!!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this set of cards in the following challenges:
1.  Frosty Festivities 2014 Linky Party 

2.  My Craft Creations New challenge 10/11-22/11/2014 - Anything Goes  
3.  Word Art Wednesday Challenge #158 - Anything Goes  
4.  Bunny Zoe's Crafts Nov. Challenge - Snow 
5.  Ribbon Girls November Colour Challenge - Red

And Caring Hearts Card Drive (not a challenge, but there are prizes!!!)

Rainbow Christmas Card


"The cat accepts your hospitality, but not your obligations."
                                                                       ------------------English saying


Hi, Friends.......

I am zooming through my all-night marathon of posts with this number 3 of 5!!!!



I am posting these for the Linky party at Jennifer Grace's 2014 Frosty Festivities.  It closes in a few short hours, so I am glad these posts are going quickly.  Who knows...I might even get some sleep before Little Peach wakes up!  (Not likely, since I drank a cup of coffee at 9 pm!!!!) 




This card was inspired by Jennifer's Rainbow Coloured Christmas Card post.  I don't think I've ever done a Christmas card in rainbow colors before so this was really fun.  And, look....It's CAS!!!!  I rarely ever do what I would truly call a CAS card, although I do a lot of simple geometrics.  But this one pretty much is. 

Instead of using individual colors of embossing powder, I cheated with the houses by using a big long rainbow ColorBox ink pad that Clearsnap sent me as part of a WCMD prize (THANKS, Clearsnap!!!).  I stamped and then heat-embossed with clear powder.


I held my breath while I stamped the greeting on with Black Soot Distress Ink... (Whew....it's straight!)....then mounted it on some glittery DCWV cardstock.  Some iridescent sequins for smoke finished it all off.

I absolutely LOVE how this card turned out!!!  It was fairly easy to do, too, so I might even make some more of these and send them to the Caring Hearts Card Drive.

Okay, that's it for this post.  Onward and upward to posts #4 and #5 which are a couple more card sets.

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this set of cards in the following challenges:
1.  Frosty Festivities 2014 Linky Party
2.  My Craft Spot Challenge #57 - Sequins

3.  Vandicrafts' Artistry Challenge #17 - Home Sweet Home 
4.  My Craft Creations New challenge 10/11-22/11/2014 - Anything Goes
5.  Perfectly Rustics #36 Embossing

Winter Wishes - Set 2



"No amount of time can erase the memory of a good cat, and no amount of masking tape can ever totally remove his fur from your couch."
                                                                        -----------------Leo F. Buscaglia

Hi, Friends......

Back again with the 2nd of FIVE posts for my all-night crafting and posting marathon.  Yes, I am crazy.....but not as crazy as I'll be when I am done!  Ha!





I am posting these as part of Jennifer Grace's 2014 Frosty Festivities.....a wonderfully fun and inspiring event she hostesses each year.  Her Linky party closes in a few hours, so I am in a hurry to get to bed to get these posted!!  ;)








This is my second set of Winter Wishes cards inspired by Jennifer's  Jazzing up Old Stash for Christmas Cards post.  

I again used the Winter Wishes holiday collection from Echo Park.   This time I used more of the stickers included in the set to make cute and fun little cards.

I again dry embossed my background with the Darice Snowflakes folder and sanded it to make the flakes show up better. 






Here's a close up of two of the cards:

I used Glossy Accents on the merry string of Christmas lights to give it a little pizazz.  Some dollar store foam snowflakes were just right for this set, too.  It took me a long time to figure out what was weird about some of those foam flakes.  Do you see it?  Answer below.


More glitter glue and regular glitter, again....and more of those foam snowflakes.  Did you discover what is odd about them?  Some of them have seven sides!!!  No wonder they were at the dollar store are an unusual shape!  

This set also will be going to the Caring Hearts Card Drive 2014.


Thanks for stopping by.  Stay tuned for my next post....a card of many colors.......

<3 
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this set of cards in the following challenges:
1. Frosty Festivities 2014 Linky Party
2. Sunday Stamps Challenge #89 - It's All Plum
3. My Craft Creations New challenge 10/11-22/11/2014 - Anything Goes
4. Bunny Zoe's Crafts Nov. Challenge - Snow
5. We Dobadoo Challenge #19 - Christmas  


Also, Caring Hearts Card Drive (not a challenge, but there are prizes!!!)



Winter Wishes - Set 1




"The ideal of calm exists in a sitting cat."
                                                                              ------------Jules Renard

Hi, Friends.....

I am here with my first post of five (yes, you read that right...5 posts!!) in an all-night crafting marathon!!  (Ugh...I am so going to wish I had gone to bed when Little Peach wakes up early!!!  Good thing Grandpa and Uncle are home!)  This week was nearly a total loss as far as being able to craft.  I did manage to get some very last-minute entries into a MFP Oriental Sketch challenge, but that was it.  I really was dying to get some more cards done for Jennifer Graces Frosty Festivities linky party which closes in a few hours. 



It has been so much fun participating in the 2014 Frosty Festivities and I want to thank Jennifer for hostessing this amazing weekend of giveaways and week of challenges.  THANKS, JENNIFER!!!!





High-tech background.   Anyone remember Flash Gordon TV series? :o

I got super-inspired by a number of Jennifer's posts.  One in particular was her Jazzing up Old Stash for Christmas Cards.  I had some Echo Park holiday collections that were perfect for using.  These were from the Winter Wishes collection and I even used the labels to embellish my cards.  

Look what else you see that I used in this set.......TAGS!!  Now, I admit that these were merely tags that came with the collection, but it still is a breakthrough for me!!  Ha.





Here's a close-up of two of the cards:


I dry embossed with the Darice Snowflakes folder and then sanded it to show the pattern.  Not sure if you are really "allowed" to sand non-Core'dinations paper, but I did it anyway.  Please don't report me to the crafting cops!


I used lots of glitter glue and glitter, and then tied the tags with some plastic raffia-looking twine that matched.  These cards will go to the Caring Hearts Card Drive 2014.


I have another set of these Winter Wishes cards to post next.  See you in a few.......!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this set of cards in the following challenges:
1.  Frosty Festivities 2014 Linky Party 
2.  Sunday Stamps Challenge #89 - It's All Plum
3. My Craft Creations New challenge 10/11-22/11/2014 - Anything Goes
4. DL.ART November Linky Challenge - Anything Goes
5. Bunny Zoe's Crafts Nov. Challenge - Snow
 
Also....  Caring Hearts Card Drive  (not a challenge, but there are prizes!!!) 

Friday, November 14, 2014

Lucky Kitty - Oriental Sketch Card

"Every dog has his day -- but the nights are reserved for the cats."
                                                                    ----------Anonymous

 Hi, Friends....

I am back with my second post of the day and another entry into MFP Oriental Sketch Challenge.  This time I did a straight interp of this week's sketch:





I used my MFP Lucky You stamp set for this card with the cheery little kitty.  Everything is very straight forward with no oysters or anything!  Ha.

I liked how the stamping on the DCWV paper (scrap from earlier card posted today!) has the texture showing through.  It looks almost needlepoint or something.  I should have taken a close-up of it, but I was trying to make this a one photo post!  (You can get a closer look by right clicking on it, hit view photo, and magnify from there.)

I stamped the coin image onto mulberry paper for an Oriental feel.  I used Walnut Stain Distress Ink for stamping and inking the edges of the panels.  

I mounted everything on a glittery DCWV card base and finished up with some stick-on pearls.  Love how the simple geometrics of the Oriental sketches adapt so well for very calm and relaxing cards.  

Thanks for stopping by again today.  Don't forget that I will have a Christmas giveaway soon....so be watching for it next week!  Yay!!!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. MFP Oriental Sketch Challenge #57
2. Papertake Weekly - 2 or 4 Legs
3. Art Impressions Stamps Challenge #148 - Zoo or Animal
4. (ETA) My Craft Creations New challenge 10/11-22/11/2014 - Anything Goes

You Think You Lost Your Horse?







"Places to look:  behind the books in the bookshelf, any cupboard with a gap too small for any cat to squeeze through, the top of anything sheer, under anything too low for a cat to squash under, and inside the piano."
                                                                           -----------Roseanne Ambrose-Brown

Hi, Friends.....

I haven't made an entry in the MFP Oriental Sketch Challenge in a long time, but the bug bit me and I have a couple cards to post today using this week's sketch:




 I flipped the sketch for this first card and loved how that worked. 


I used my MFP Year of the Horse stamp set for the sentiment panel.  Love this particular proverb.  I stamped it in black and did the pair of horses in Versamark and then heat embossed them both with clear powder.  You can see the horses better in this angled shot below.
I used DCWV papers, mostly from the old Far East stack, and inked up the edges with Fired Brick Distress Ink to coordinate with the brick red card base.
Here's a close-up of my flower.  This is from a Petaloo set.  I have an extra package of these that will be in my Christmas giveaway coming up soon!!!  :)  Love the meshy overlay.


I used an old dried up glue dot for the center beneath the green stick-on pearl.  I have two packages of ancient glue dots that my daughter had sitting around forever.  They are too dry for reliable use as glue dots, so I had the bright idea of coating one with Perfect Pearls and laying it down on my center.  It took the pearly powder just great, but when I put it in the flower it took on the form of an abalone or some gooshy sea creature thing.  Oh, well...I stuck on the pearl, anyway.  Now it can be an oyster!  Ha.  

I brushed additional Perfect Pearls onto to the petals and misted with water to set them.  Good thing I had masked my sentiment panel because I also had to dab up all the globs of water that had dribbled out of my spray bottle!  The inking probably would have reacted with the water in an unpleasant way.
 
A sparkling Zva crystal flourish finished off the project.  I am hoping it will draw the eye away from the oyster!  :)

Thanks for stopping by.  I have another card to post for this challenge, too, so I will see you again soon.  Have a lovely weekend and stay warm.  It is supposed to be in single digits here tonight.  Brrrrr!!!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1.  MFP Oriental Sketch Challenge #57 
2.  Inky Chicks Challenge #42 - Down on the Farm
3.  Papertake Weekly - 2 or 4 Legs

4.  Word Art Wednesday Challenge #158 - Anything Goes
5.  DL.ART November Linky Challenge - Anything Goes

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Snowy Shaker Card



"A dog will flatter you but you have to flatter the cat."
                                                                              -----------George Mikes



Hi, Friends.....

A third post for this evening and I am still not caught up!!  I wanted to be sure to get this one in for the MFP FOSTV - include a moving element challenge.  So glad shakers qualify, since I am using my Card Candy from the other day....and they are all shaker pouches!!  :)  The one I chose for this card has a little Mark's Finest Paper snowman image from their Calendar set.  Cute!!!

Do you notice something on this card that you've never seen me use on a card before????  For the answer, keep reading, Lizzie.....


First of all, special mention to two inspirations for this card:





I was really impressed by some simple and lovely Christmas cards made by Guest Designer, Louise, over at Jennifer Grace's Frosty Festivities extravaganza.   (Did I mention there are prizes?????) 






Also, look at these fun wintery colors on Joanna's Inspired by Stamping monthly challenge!  So icy and snowy!!  I had to make at least one entry.  :)









Here's a close-up of my shaker pouch and the sweet little snowman.  I stamped him in London Fog Memento ink in case I wanted to watercolor him, but decided I liked him just in gray.  What do you think??? 
Now here is the answer to the above question.  What appears on this card that I never use???  Washi tape!  

Perhaps I don't really know how to use it...or else it doesn't seem to fit with my style...or something.  Maybe it's because I don't have that many rolls of it (less than 20!).....I must be the only one with that few, right?  Ha!  Anyway, I never use it on my cards and rarely on other projects.  But, for some reason, it seemed right for this card.

I wasn't sure if it would look decent on top of this dry embossing, but I was pleasantly surprised with the result.  The texture really doesn't show through all that much.  Anyway, what do you think?  Did I do it right?????  I sure hope so!!!  :)

Thanks for stopping by to see my card.   This is another in my easy-mailer series...and....I think it would work as a masculine card, too.  Loving that!!!  Have a lovely rest of the weekend!!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1.  Jennifer Grace's Frosty Festivities 2014 Linky Party
2.  Vandicrafts Artistry Challenge #16 - Anything Goes
3.  MFP FOSTV Challenge #144 - Include a Moving Element
4.  Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge #202 - Keep it Flat
5.  Inspired by Stamping Inspirational Challenge (IBSIC #87) - Color challenge
6.  I am also putting this card on the pre-class gallery for the Online Card Classes - Holiday Card Workshop 2014.
                                                 

Saturday, November 8, 2014

Have a Dreamy Christmas






"With their qualities of cleanliness, discretion, affection, patience, dignity, and courage, how many of us, I ask you, would be capable of becoming cats?"
                                                                                -------------Fernand Mery

Hi, Friends.....

Second post of the evening, here, with an easy mailer and sort of a mixed media card using the card candy  I made a few days ago.  This time I wrapped some shimmery twine around the vellum pouch to dress it up like a Christmas present.  Sweet, huh?  I think so!!!  Ha!


 I wanted a dreamy, nostalgic look to this one that goes so well with the vellum, so I dredged out a piece of glossy cardstock from that ill-fated cling wrap technique several months ago.  Not only was I able to salvage those backgrounds by transferring onto watercolor paper, I also transferred some onto additional sheets of  (that ridiculously expensive) glossy photo paper (that I bought at a fantastically inflated price down in our little tiny town in the valley....but at least they had some!!!).  This is one of those pieces.  :)

I heat embossed some Mark's Finest Papers snowflake images, from the Calendar set, with some clear shimmery embossing powder.  You can see them better in this photo below.  I attached my shaker bundle with Beacon 3-in-1 and added a few soft foam snowflakes.  I finished it off with some dots of....yes, you guessed it....silver glitter glue.  (I can't seem to keep away from it on Christmas cards!!)


I love the dreamy soft colors and textures of this card.  Reminds me of Christmas cards and memories of days gone by.  I love this card also because it is an easy mailer.  But tell me, do you think it looks too much like a present floating in outer space or in the outer atmosphere or something????  [Meet George Jetson...with a present for....Jane, his wife.]  After I got it done, I wondered about that.  lol....

As always, thanks so much for your lovely comments.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend!!!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Good Ol' Days
2. Vandicrafts Artistry Challenge #16 - Anything Goes
3. MFP FOSTV Challenge #144 - Include a Moving Element
4. Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge #202 - Keep it Flat
5. Wow! Embossing Powder November Challenge - Multi-Media
6. I am also putting this card on the Day 3 - Watercolor Class gallery for the Online Card Classes - Holiday Card Workshop 2014.  I was inspired by Kristina's card with the lovely watercolor background and use of the dots of Stickles.

Big Christmas Tree







"We tie bright ribbons around their necks, and occasionally little tinkling bells, and we affect to think that they are as sweet and vapid as the coy name 'kitty' by which we call them would imply.  It is a curious illusion.  For, purring beside our fireplaces and pattering along our back fences, we have got a wild beast as uncowed and uncorrupted as any under heaven."
                                                                                 -----------------Alan Devoe

Hi, Friends......

Today I hope to share several cards using the card candy I made the other day.  So, if all goes well (Ha!),  look for a few posts today....and (most likely) tomorrow! 
 
Are you all taking part in the 2014 Frosty Festivities over at Jennifer Grace's blog?????

I was inspired to try Jennifer Grace's dramatic Giant Aperture technique she used on a lovely Christmas LO.  I adapted it to be just a "big" aperture for a card.  :)
I dry embossed some extra-thick white cardstock with my Darice Snowflake folder for my front piece.  Then I began working on the cut-out.  

You'd think a simple triangle aperture would be within even *my* skill level!!  I carefully measured so my card candy would fit exactly in the opening.  Sounds easy, right?  So why did it take me several tries to get my pattern right?????  Ha!  AWTEW...(all's well that ends well)...and I finally got a template done and the front cut.  The bonus is that I have the elegant negative (or is it the positive...?) of this cut to use on a different card.  Yay!!! :)

I put some DCWV Christmas print behind the front and glued on my vellum shaker pouch with Beacon 3-in-1.  (Note: this adhesive will show through one layer of vellum, but is hidden here by the pouch contents.) 

I topped the tree with a gold-embossed Mark's Finest Paper star from the Calendar set.  (Been loving the little holiday motifs in this set!!!!)  I added a bit of sparkling gold gel pen to the little circles of the white panel and picked up the gold by mounting the whole thing on a glittery gold card base.  I love how this turned out!!   And.....it is flat enough to go through the mail without extra postage.  Hooray!!

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to check out Jennifer's Frosty Festivities 2014!!!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Jennifer Grace's Frosty Festivities 2014 Linky Party
2. Vandicrafts Artistry Challenge #16 - Anything Goes
3. MFP FOSTV Challenge #144 - Include a Moving Element
4. Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge #202 - Keep it Flat
5. DL.ART November Linky Challenge - Anything Goes
6. I am also putting this card on the pre-class gallery for the Online Card Classes - Holiday Card Workshop 2014.
  (THANKS, Walter & Winnie!!!)

Friday, November 7, 2014

Entertaining Owl






"By and large, people who enjoy teaching animals to roll over will find themselves happier with a dog."
                                                                                     ---------------Barbara Holland

Hi, Friends......

I am here with a fun card inspired by two different challenges.  First of all is Melissa's Vandicrafts Artistry Challenge - Bye, Bye Birdie, which I hope to slip under the wire for.  The second one deserves special mention......

I hope all of you are participating in Jennifer Grace's annual Frosty Festivities!!  She has some amazing projects to inspire you, giveaways to entice you, and a super-duper challenge to ...umm... challenge you!!

Jennifer made an adorable felt St. Nicholas door stop which inspired to me to look around my stash for felt, too.  I already had been thinking about this adorable felt owl for Melissa's challenge, so I did a twofer.  (I hope it's okay that my project isn't Christmasy for Jennifer's challenge!)  

 


This card features a clearance rack felt owl that I just love.  I was taken with the adorable sleepy little creature and tipped it drowsily to one side.  Then I grabbed my Springtime Doodlebug collection and saw that pixie straw......and instead decided to bend it into a star-studded cane for a modest little entertainer.  Do you like it?

My tree background was one of those leftover experiments from that day I went wild inking up my embossing folders.   I think it gives just the right amount of natural look with the other whimsical colors and patterns I used.  



Here's a closer look at my owl's sparkling cane.  Little sequins from my stash attached easily with 3D Crystal Lacquer.  Glossy Accents came to the rescue to glue the cane onto the felt.  

I hope you will tell me what you think of my card.  Those spring colors are sure a surprising (even to me!) departure from autumn designs and holiday cards, aren't they?!  My next post will be more seasonal and show how I used some of my card candy from last post.

Hope your weekend is lovely!!  Did I make it in time, Melissa????

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1.  Vandicrafts Artistry Challenge #15 - Bye Bye Birdie 
2.  Jennifer Grace's Frosty Festivities 2014 Linky Party
3.  Ladybug Crafts November Challenge - Use Bright Colors
4.  Bunny Zoe's Crafts October Challenge - Animals
5.  DL.ART November Linky Challenge - Anything Goes