Color Challenge: "Faith, Hope, Love" in Tan

I hope this doesn't offend anyone.  It is, of course, more of a commentary on cats than on God or religion.  :)

Hi, Friends.....

I am here with a card I made for the current MFP Stamp Shop Challenge where they ask us to use shades of tan.  It was fun pulling out all my brown family scraps to see what I could come up with.  

Since it is a MFP challenge, I used one of my favorite sets from them, their Christmas Wishes stamp set.  I stamped the Faith, Hope, Love sentiment with Versamark Ink, heat embossed with clear powder, and sponged around the words with Distress Ink in Brushed Corduroy for an emboss resist.

My background is dry de-bossed (for cracked look, instead of a ridged look) with my Darice - Crackle folder that I inked with Distress Ink in Walnut Stain first.  The pearl centers of some of my flowers were white, so I colored them with a Spectrum Noir marker to make them tan.

Other supplies used include:
Sizzix - Fancy Labels die set
WRMK Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper
Prima and Petaloo flowers
Tan grosgrain and cream sheer ribbons from my stash
 
Hope you enjoyed my card today.  The tan color makes me think of autumn.  I have had enough of 90 degree heat.  I'm ready!!  No, wait, I don't have any tomatoes, yet.  Okay....I'll wait.  :)

Thank you for stopping by!!!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. MFP Stamp Shop Challenge #30 - Tan
2. Wow! Embossing Powder July Challenge - Favorite Embossing Technique (heat embossing, of course!)
3. A Vintage Journey July Challenge - Monochromatic
4. Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Add Some Texture
5. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes\
6. Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper July Challenge - Use Patterned Paper
7. DL.Art July Linky Challenge - AG
8. Make My Monday - Sentimental

Floral Kitty Gazing out Window Shaker

Hi, Friends......

I have a new addiction: die cutting scraps into wavy strips for making landscapes, seascapes, snowscapes, or just funky backgrounds.  Fun fun fun!!!  I've been using my new Pink & Main Scallop Waves die set and am having a total ball with it!!  (THANKS, Pink & Main!!!)

And, friends, did you know that Pink & Main sponsors their own challenge blog with wonderful prizes of gift codes to their store?  You don't have to use their products to enter, but you get an extra advantage of being eligible for their top prize if you do.  The current challenge is a fun one:  shaker cards.  :) 

I want to give an extra special shout-out to Pink & Main because they let you use their gift codes to cover shipping, too!  So you aren't stuck with additional shipping charges or minimum orders when you win from them.  I keep a list of companies with free shipping for prizes, reasonable shipping, etc.  Pink & Main is on my list of the best possible challenge blogs.  Way to go and thank you so much, Pink & Main!!

So here's my shaker card with a wavy landscape using my Pink & Main Scallop Waves die set.

I also want to give a shout-out to Ike's - Show us Your Pussies Cat Lovers' Challenge Blog.  Entry numbers are a little low this month because of vacations and such, but you still have until Aug.1 to enter.  The theme this month is Floral Kitties.


I have to admit that the Floral Kitties theme was more difficult for me than I expected.  I discovered that I don't usually put flowers on my kitty cards.  Weird.  I put flowers on everything else!!!  lol...  Also, I really wanted to make a floral patterned cat, not just add flowers.....although either is acceptable for the challenge.  

I've had this green paper with white embossed flowers sitting in my reject pile for a long time.  Once upon a time I was tryyyyyyy-ing to make a tag, but no go.   So I decided to cut it all up into green flowered kitties and cat toys.  I have quite a little stack of these cute little shapes now, so I imagine they will pop up every so often!  :)

I put all kinds of shaker things in my card....beads, sequins, glitter, stars, etc. and I kind of like how the contents hang up a little bit on my wavy landscape.  The bugle beads in the mix are supposed to remind you of green grass.


Other supplies used include:
My Favorite Things - Spring Borders (apparently discontinued)
My Favorite Things - Blueprints 7 die set
My Favorite Things Die-namics - Stitched Square STAX die set
Darice - Flowers and Vines Pattern embossing folder
X-Cut - A5 Mixed Cats die set
Versamark Ink
WOW! Embossing Powder - Opaque Bright White Regular
Prima and Petaloo flowers

Well, that's all for now.  I hope you enjoyed my card.  It was fun to make....esp since I got to use up scraps AND that green embossed piece!!!  :)

Thank you for stopping by and leaving your wonderful comments!!  I hope you are having a nice mid-week.

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Pink & Main Challenge #11 - Shaker Cards
2. SUYP Challenge #8 - Floral Kitties
3. Wow! Embossing Powder July Challenge - Favorite Embossing Technique (heat embossing, of course!)

Sunshiny Butterfly Altered Jar

Hard to see, but this silky-coated tabby has found a butterfly.  (Not my kitty, BTW.)  Love how cats' whiskers fan forward when they are super-interested in something.  Awww...so cute!

Hi, Friends....

I am back with another butterfly project that I made as a birthday gift for a friend.  It's a sunny altered sweet treat jar full of Kraft caramels.
(Oh, blissful and rapturous yummy goodness! You can't begin to imagine how many bags of these I have to buy in order to have some on hand for treat jars!!!)

This project fits Mrs. A's  Butterfly Spot Challenge of Butterfly + D is for Dimension.  (I didn't use the other option of D is for Denim this time....but you still have time to do that!)

I Mod Podged strips of book paper onto my jar and later remembered why I should gesso the jar first.
(Who can resist the urge to squint sideways inside the jar to try to see what this slightly steamy discarded book....that even the local thrift store couldn't or wouldn't sell...has to say????? Ha. Don't tell anyone!!! Good thing the paper was in strips! Ummm...maybe I better just shut up about it now...)

I scribbled over the book paper with several colors of Gelatos and blended them together with my (now yellow) finger, moistened with water to make them smooth and creamy.  Gelatos are such a pretty medium and so wonderfully easy to use.

My Serendipity - Floral Butterflies are made from tissue paper I had used underneath a previous project to catch the overspray.  (I think it was from this project. There's a photo where you can see the tissue.)   I folded up the splattered tissue and die cut a bunch of butterflies...4 or 5 at a time....and then stamped them each with Distress Ink in Pumice Stone.  Then I applied them to my jar with a bit of Mod Podge.  I outlined them with a black Faber-Castell Pitt Big Brush Marker and then with a white one over that to soften the black outline.

I added some leaves die cut from my Sizzix Originals - Build a Lilac die set along with some Prima flowers and pearl centers.  I finished the body of the jar with a bit of twine and a cute heart button.  

The lid was done in a similar fashion, except I made a base of only gesso instead of interesting book paper!  :)

I have a lot of fun making these treat jars.  They take a little bit of time, but I love the results.  

Hope you enjoyed seeing my altered jar.  Thank you for your amazing comments.  You make my day!!!  

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this altered treat jar in the following challenges:
1. Mrs. A's Butterfly Spot Challenge - Butterfly + D is for Denim and/or Dimension
2. Serendipity Stamps Challenge #57 - Just Add Water (I added water to my Gelatos to smooth them around on my background.)
3. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Things with Wings
4. DL.Art July Linky Challenge - AG
5. Penny Black at All Sorts July Challenge - AG with a stamp
6. Dragonfly Journeys Challenge #67 - Sugar Rush (I didn't use a sugary image, but my jar is full of caramels!!  Hope that counts.)
7. Southern Ridge Trading Co July Challenge - AG Summer
8. The Ribbon Girls July Challenge - Any Image

Happy Shaker Card with Butterfly

Hi, Friends....

I am here to share a fun card with you today.  I don't make shakers very often, but when I got organizing my stash a little bit and discovered how many additional containers of sequins I have....well, you know the rest.  The cure for having too many sequins is.......to buy more!  Then you'll have *way* too many sequins!!  Ha.  No, the best cure is to make shaker cards, right?  :)

I was inspired by Mrs. A's Butterfly Spot Challenge which asks us to use a butterfly + D is for Denim (color) and/or D is for Dimension.  I used both of the D options in my card.

I used lots of die cuts from scraps all over my card, but found a stamped butterfly lying hidden for well over a year in my stash.  It was from a lovely ancient set called Victorian Butterflies. I had been dissatisfied with this stamped image at the time, but it had the right colors for this card.  Since I was still not entirely happy with it.......it was time to tweak!  

I originally had rubbed metallic Gelatos over the surface of the stamp and misted lightly before stamping it on white cardstock.  The effect was a pale, shimmery, rather amorphous butterfly....which looked way too sorry to use.  So.....I fussy cut around the image and added some fuchsia and blue watercolor to portions of it and then stamped the image again over the top with Distress Ink in Faded Jeans.
(I knew I'd never get it stamped in the right place if I stamped in the ordinary way.....so I inked the old style square foam-mounted red rubber stamp and turned it inky side upwards....then carefully laid my butterfly face-down over it. Since the piece was already fussy cut, I could pretty easily see where I needed to lay it down. Voila! It actually worked!!)


My background is one I just made from......wait for it.....(Janis is cringing in embarrassment that I actually saved this stuff...) leftover Easter egg dye!!!  Yes, I still had it sitting around dried up in cups from my granddaughter dying eggs.  At least it is from THIS year!!!!  lol...   
 

Uh,oh...call 911....Janis is "Mad-Chemist"-ing again!!!  No way was I going to throw away those lovely (completely dried up and crusty) Easter egg dyes!!!  Hey, it only took me until July to do something with them....I am improving!!!  I used mixed media paper and made a ton of backgrounds.  I even saved my paper towels that I used for dabbing...(upper left in photo).  I figure that one will find its way onto an altered treat jar in the year 2525 or so, if man is still alive... :)

I made this pale background by misting a fresh sheet of mixed media paper with water and gently pressing it down over a deeply pigmented one.  It picks up just the right amount of ink for a lovely pastel hue and for being impossible to photograph!  (What a bonus, huh? lol..  )

Other supplies used:
Victorian Butterflies stamp set (discontinued)
Winnie & Walter - In a Word: Happy Cutaway die (This cuts like butter and no need for prying the cardstock out afterwards!  THANKS, W&W!!!)
Sizzix - Branch with Leaves die
Sizzix Originals - Build a Lilac die
My Favorite Things Die-namics - Stitched Oval STAX die set
DCWV glitter paper for leaves
Dollar store glitter on the butterfly and flower centers from my stash
Thrift store sequins and glass beads from my stash
Dollar store craft foam between the shaker layers
Acetate sheet from my stash

I put the shaker all together and lifted the petals and wings for dimension and called it good.  One shaker's worth of sequins down, 1000 to go!  

Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope the rest of your weekend is wonderful!!!

<3
Janis


Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Mrs. A's Butterfly Spot Challenge - Butterfly + D is for Denim and/or Dimension
2. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Things with Wings
3. Pixie's Snippets Playground Week #239 - Use Snippets
4. The Ribbon Girls July Challenge - Any Image
5. Crop Stop Linky Party #18 - AG Using product CS carries (I used Distress Ink) 
6. DL.Art July Linky Challenge - AG 
7. Southern Ridge Trading Co July Challenge - AG Summer 
8. ColorSnap July Color Challenge

Paws and Be Grateful - Tie Dye, Again....

Hi, Friends.....

I am back with an anniversary card that I made for a friend.  Her hubby is in very poor health and we are all surprised and pleased that he made it to their anniversary this last week.  I thought a card with a gratefulness theme was appropriate.  I hope it will be encouraging to them.

My wild background was an extra I made inspired by the tie-dye technique challenge I entered with this card a few days ago.  I used Distress Inks in Picked Raspberry, Wilted Violet, and Chipped Sapphire.  I absolutely love how this piece turned out but I didn't have time to make a card with it for that particular challenge.  I think it is perfect for this card.

I stamped and die cut some kitties and a sentiment from the My Favorite Things - Cat-itude stamp set and My Favorite Die-namics - Cat-itude die set that I chose as part of a generous prize from My Favorite Things awhile back.  (THANKS, MFT!!!)  Since the background was so bright, I simply stamped the kitties with Versafine Ink in Onyx Black and left them uncolored.  I layered them over an oval cut with my My Favorite Things Die-namics - Stitched Oval STAX die set and mounted everything on a purple card base.  Love love love!!!

That's all for tonight.  Thank you for stopping by.  My blogging is intermittent of late, but I do very much appreciate your visits and your lovely comments!!!  

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. The Artistic Stamper July Creative Challenge - All Things Bright and Beautiful
2. Penny Black at All Sorts July Challenge - AG with a stamp
3. The Ribbon Girls July Challenge - Any Image
4. Moving Along with the Times Challenge #24 - No Designer Paper
5. Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Flora and Fauna
6. Crop Stop Linky Party #18 - AG Using product CS carries (I used Distress Ink for my tie-dye background)
7. Time Out Challenges #61 - Inspired by Words
8. Let's Create Challenges #115 - Four Legged Friends
9. Animal Friends Challenge #40 - Animals + Punches/Dies

Hey, It's our 35th!!!

Hi, Friends.....

Yes....it's our 35th!!!  No......not our 35th grandkid.....or even our 35th cat (that was a looooooong time ago!!)  My hubby and I are celebrating our 35th wedding anniversary today!  Yay!!  I made this card for him.  Of course, it had to have cats on it.  :)

This little kitty scene is supposed to show one kitty (hubby) offering a mouse to the other kitty (me).  Hubby kitty is looking on with a hopeful expression fervently desiring that wifey will appreciate the gift.  She is examining it.  The red confetti hearts show the gift is accepted.  <3  <3  <3  Amazingly, when I gave him this card, my hubby understood exactly what the message of this scene was.....except he thought he was the one still looking at the mouse and I hadn't leaned over yet to examine it.  I told him....no, the fat kitty is me!  lol...

In designing this card, I was delighted to use this nifty layered embossed background I made from scraps of black, white and gray papers. I realized some time ago that I was tossing a lot of narrow strips of patterned papers and so I started saving them and making these backgrounds....by gluing the strips onto cardstock and trimming it to size. This one is dry embossed using my Darice - Interlocking Circles folder.


Other supplies used in this card include:
X-Cut - A5 Mixed Cats Die Set
Lil' Inker - Rainbows and Clouds Sentiment stamp set
Versafine Ink - Onyx Black
My Favorite Things Die-namics - Stitched Square STAX die set

I think I probably should have die cut the cats and mouse additionally in black and layered them for a shadow effect so they would show up better, but in real life they look more distinct than in the photo.  Live and learn!  :)

Hope you enjoyed seeing my card.  Thanks for stopping by and for all your sweet comments!!!  

Here's to many more happy years together with you, Jim!!!  I love you!

<3
Janis


Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper July Challenge - Use Patterned Paper
2. Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Flora and Fauna
3. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Make a Scene
4. Pixie's Snippets Playground Week #238 - Use Snippets
5. DL.Art July Linky Challenge - AG
6. The Artistic Stamper July Creative Challenge - All Things Bright and Beautiful
7. Crop Stop Linky Party #18 - AG Using product CS carries (I used a Darice embossing folder)
8. ColorSnap July Color Challenge

Happy Birthday, Dad!!!

This is not a photo of my Dad, but it does remind me of how Dad always has enjoyed having a cat sit on his lap.  He loves them just like I do!  Before he had to move out of his home, he always had a black cat for a companion in his woodworking shop in the garage.....(there were a couple of them and he always named them Blacky!).  Because of his love for cats, we always had at least one kitty the entire time I was growing up.  I'm sure that fostered my love for them, too!  Who knew I would become a crazy cat lady with 20 of them!!!???!!!  lol.....

Hi, Friends.....

This week was my Dad's birthday....he is 93 years old!!!  WOW!!!  He's in reasonably good health, but his memory is failing him.  He lives in a care home in Oregon and they are very good to him, but it's hard being this far away from him.  I always send him homemade cookies for special occasions and this time he got chocolate chip....which he LOVED!!  :)

Even though the card I made for him was very simple, I think the wonderful vintage images from the Graphic 45 Come Away with Me collection make it look great.  (He's always more interested in the cookies, anyway!!  lol...)

I love layering the journaling cards and other elements to make a collage look.  This lets me make a very quick card and I don't even have to add any stamping!!  Some distressing on the edges of the panels with Distress Ink in Walnut Stain and a bit of natural twine for just the right amount of texture finished up the card.

Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope you enjoyed seeing the card and got some ideas for very quick projects using journaling cards!!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Ribbon Girls July Challenge - AG Card
2. Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper July Challenge - Use Patterned Paper
3. Dream Factory July Challenge - Finding Nemo
4. The Challenge Blog by Creative Stamping - #41 Maritime   
5. Bastel-Dream #43 - Anything Goes
6. We Love Vintage Challenge #72 - Sun/Sea/Beach must be Vintage
7. Card and Scrap Challenge #121 - Anything Goes
8. Southern Ridge Trading Co July Challenge - AG Summer 
9. Crop Stop Linky Party #18 - AG Using product CS carries  (I used Distress Inks)

Tie-Dye Effect - Happy Birthday

Hi, Friends....

I've had guests and then my granddaughter here most of the week, so I didn't get to craft as much as I hoped....but I did get this card made tonight.  So here I am with another quick post (or attempt at a quick post!)  I was inspired by the Mark's Finest Papers Challenge this week where they ask us to use their wonderful tutorial to make a Tie-Dye background.

I used my favorite bright summery colors of Distress Inks in Mustard Seed, Ripe Persimmon, and Candied Apple for my background. My sentiment is from Mark's Finest Papers - North American Woods stamp set and the flower is from Mark's Finest Papers - Works of Art stamp set. I stamped them both with Versafine Ink in Olympia Green.

I thought my card needed a bit of texture, so I added just a touch of ivory lace ribbon.  Do you think it looks too vintage for the image and sentiment font?  I kind of like the contrast of the more modern flower, the tie-dye, and the old-fashioned lace style together.  Maybe I am just weird!  :)

Okay, that is all for tonight.  I hope you enjoyed my card.  Thank you for stopping by!!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1.  MFP Stamps Challenge #28 - Use their Tie-Die tutorial
2.  Countryview Challenges - July Challenge - Have Fun with Circles
(My sponged tie-dye background was made with a series of circles and my flower is a circle.)
3.  Southern Ridge Trading Co July Challenge - AG Summer
4.  Penny Black at All Sorts July Challenge - AG with a stamp
5.  Ribbon Girls July Challenge - AG Card
6.  Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Flora and Fauna
7.  Little Scrap Pieces Show it Off Saturday - AG
8.  Crop Stop Linky Party #18 - AG Using product CS carries  (I used Distress Inks)

I am STILL A-LIVE!!!

Sorry to disappoint you, Grumpy Cat.....but I was only taking a blog break  I AM STILL ALIVE!!!  :)

Hi, Friends....

Well, I thought it was time to wake up my dormant blog and make a quick post.  I know, I know....I have maybe only one time ever made a "quick" post.  I took all of the month of June off of my blog because of Vacation Bible School on Tuesdays and my granddaughter here overnight one or two nights a week.  But now I am beginning to craft again and so I have something to post.  

This card is inspired by the Mark's Finest Papers Tutorial challenge where you cover a scrap piece of cardstock with foil and dry emboss it for a cool metallic background.  They suggested making a tag, but I use a lot more cards than tags, so I did that instead....but I still followed their wonderful tutorial technique. 

Supplies used include:
My Favorite Things Die-namics - Stitched Oval STAX die set
Mark's Finest Papers - North American Woods stamp set
Darice Embossing Folder - Birch Trees
Ranger - Embossing Powder - Silver super-fine detail
Printed Vellum
Scraps of Black cardstock

Hope you enjoyed my card.  I have made a few other cards over the past few weeks and I might even get them blogged, too, sometime soon.  

Thank you for stopping by!!!!  Hope to see you soon.  :)

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1.  MFP June Blog Hop Tutorial Project
2.  The Artistic Stamper July Creative Challenge - All Things Bright and Beautiful
3.  A Vintage Journey July Challenge - Monochromatic
4.  Pixie's Snippets Playground Week #236  - Use Snippets
5.  Moving Along with the Times Challenge #24 - No Designer Paper 
6.  ColorSnap July Color Challenge