Birthday Card

Hi, Friends.....

I am here to share a fun birthday card that I made......using just the best sentiment from my Cardz-TV - Mixed Messages stamp set. Hehehee...

Supplies used include:
Hero Arts Sparkle Clear - Cupcakes stamp set
Candle stamp from stash
Ranger - TH Distress Markers
Zig - Wink of Stella Clear Glitter Brush Pen
M&C Boutique - Large Circle Frame die set
Doodlebug - Mini Doilies
Rhinestones and ribbon from stash

I also made some belated birthday cards of the same design using different colors. Seems like a cardmaker, like myself, would never be late sending cards......but I am!!! Good grief. So I thought I should have a couple of belated cards in my stash, too!!!

Which color do you like the best of the three?
Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope you are having a great day!!!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card (the top one!) in the following challenges:
1. Always Happy Birthday January Challenge - Birthday + Pink Card Base
2. Word Art Wednesday #318-319 - AG
3. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Layer It
4. Fashionable Stamping Challenge #131 - Anything Goes
5. CARDZ-TV - Anything Goes Challenge #32
6. The House That Stamps Built - J2418 Anything Goes
7. Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - January
8. Crafter's Castle Challenge #1 - Anything Goes
9. HeARTful Challenge Jan 28 - Feb 4 - Anything Goes

Wedding Card with Black Accents

Hi, Friends......

I am back with a simple layered wedding card to share with you. I have had this Denami Design - Curly Wedding Cake stamp for quite a long time, but this is the first time I have ever used it.....(hangs head in shame). I kept the colors simple....black, white, and silver....to let that lovely cake image shine.

Supplies used include:
Denami Design - Curly Wedding Cake stamp
Versamark Ink
Ranger - Embossing Powder in silver
Winnie & Walter - Essentials: Audrey Cutaways die set (for scalloped panel)
Pretty Pink Posh - Sparkling Clear Mix sequins
Older than the hills DCWV patterned paper!
Silver twine from my stash

I have a companion card using the same stamp that I will post later on today, if I get a chance. Thank you for looking!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Fairytale Challenge Blog - Inspiration Photo
2. Word Art Wednesday #318-319 - AG
3. DL.ART Thankful Thursday #221 - Love or TY
4. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Layer It
5. The House That Stamps Built - J1718 - Inspiration Palette
6. Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - January
7. Fashionable Stamping Challenge #131 - Anything Goes
8. Penny Black at All Sorts - Something New (Wedding card celebrates new life together!)

Winter Wishes - With a Bit of Mixed Media

Hi, Friends.....

I am here with a card to share that really took me out of my comfort zone!! It was inspired by the photograph over at the Fairytale Challenge blog.


Here is the beautiful inspiration piece they gave us: --------->

The ice-covered seed heads reminded me of some gorgeous Dollar Store silver reflective stickers I have.

I gessoed some gray kraft paper (I have to admit that I didn't know there was even such a thing as gray kraft!!) and flicked additional gesso over the snowy background.After the background was completely dry, I applied the sticker.

To mimic the ice coating, I went to my Tonic Studios - Nuvo Crystal Drops in Sea Breeze. I squeezed out drops all over the seed head in dots and drips like you might see after an ice storm in the winter.

I grounded the scene by smoothing some snow medium over the lower part of the panel. This is the same snow medium that gave me fits before because it was not white. This time I mixed in a bit of gesso to whiten it up. Worked great.

Lastly I stamped Winter Wishes on the scene. Please do not ask me how I managed to stamp it all catty-whompus....all I can say is that it "looked" straight at the time. I didn't feel like covering the crazy angled thing with a small sentiment panel, although I might later. So for now, it is what it is!! I guess you can dock my pay if you don't like it.  Ha!

Here's a close up of the seed head with the Nuvo drops:

Supplies used include:
Dollar Store reflective sticker
Daler-Rowney - Simply Acrylic White Gesso
DecoArt - Snow-Tex Textural Medium
Tonic Studios - Nuvo Crystal Drops
A Creative Journey with Melissa - Fall and Winter Holiday Sentiments stamp set
Versafine Ink in Onyx Black

Thank you for stopping by. Your visits and comments mean a lot to me!!!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Fairytale Challenge Blog - Inspiration Photo
2. Word Art Wednesday #318-319 - AG
3. Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #370 - AG Christmas w/ opt no sentiment
4. Dare2BArtzy January Challenge - Winter Wonderland
5. The House That Stamps Built - J1718 - Inspiration Palette

 

Masculine Valentine Set

Hi, Friends......

I have been busy making cards lately and have several that haven't been blogged, so today I am trying to catch up a bit. This is my second post of the day. I hope you will look HERE at my other one, too. :)

Earlier this week I saw a wonderful valentine made from collaging a bunch of patterned paper scraps that had been sitting on the blogger's craft desk. It was gorgeous!! AND I WISH I REMEMBERED where I saw it!!!! ARRRGH!!! (Why, oh why did I not Pin it so I could find it later?????) If I remember (unlikely) or run across it again (slight chance) I will post the link. It was a girly valentine in pinks and vintage scraps....so romantic and pretty. Anyone have a clue whose it was???

Anywaaaaaaaaaaay.....I was inspired to make a set of masculine valentines with the manly scraps that were sitting on my craft table! Here's a close up of one of them. You can see the set of four at the bottom of this post.

I had a lot of fun dusting off some long-neglected Unity stamps to use on these cards. I stamped directly onto the patterned paper collaged background and collaged heart, not worrying (too much) if the images turned out perfect or not. :) I added a few Nuvo drops for fun as finishing touch.

Supplies used include:
Serendipity - Heart Scroll stamp and die set
Sizzix - Thinlits TH Mixed Media die set
Assorted Unity valentine motif stamps
Versafine Ink in Smokey Gray
Lots of patterned paper scraps
Core'dinations cardstock
Twine from my stash
Tonic Studios - Nuvo Crystal Drops in Pink Raspberry

In my effort to make multiples of my cards, I made a set of four of these. Each one is a little different....(Ha!..maybe in more ways than one!!! lol...)....and I love how they turned out. I will save my favorite for my hubby and the others will go in my box of cards I'm selling to help support the family help center where I volunteer. Yay!!

Hope this gave you some ideas on how to make fun masculine cards, valentines or other, and use a bunch of scraps at the same time. Thank you so much for stopping by!!! Have a great weekend.

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card (top one) in the following challenges:
1. Mod Squad - Valentine/Love (must use red)
2. DL.ART Thankful Thursday #221 - Love or TY
3. Crop Stop January Linky Party #36 - Anything Goes use a product from company CS sells (I used Core'dinations cardstock, Sizzix dies, and Tsukineko - Versafine ink)
4. Pixie's Snippets Playground Weeks 317-318 - Use Snippets
5. The House That Stamps Built - J2418 Anything Goes
6. CARDZ-TV - Anything Goes Challenge #32
7. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Layer It
8. Word Art Wednesday #318-319 - AG
9. Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - January 

Rudolph Days - Peace with Gold Dove and Tassel

Jetta has been such a sweet companion kitty for me since I lost my Shy-Cat. <3 <3 <3 

Hi, Friends......

I am here with a quick and easy Christmas card I made for Rudolph Days at Scrappy Mo's. I was digging through my Christmas stash and came across this patterned paper that had caught my eye many months ago. It's not specifically designed for Christmas, but I thought it would make a pretty holiday card with butter-colored cardstock. 

 I added a gold-toned dove from a dollar store pack....(6 ornaments for a buck...wow!!)....and put a layered Winnie & Walter - Peace die cut over the top. I love making cards with these big flashy ornaments. You can see some I made last year using reindeer HERE.

My tassel was inspired by the challenge over at Archi-scraps this month. I searched YouTube for a tutorial and it was pretty easy to make...even for me!! :)  I've been meaning to use some of my old stash of embroidery floss on my cards and this gave me a great opportunity. I used to do a lot of counted cross-stitch (back when I could see better!!!) and have a big collection of different colors of floss still left from that hobby. Yay for me for using some of it!! lol...

Supplies used include:
Scraps of DCWV patterned and solid cardstock
Dollar Store gold-toned dove
Winnie & Walter - In a Word: Peace Cutaway die
DMC embroidery floss

Thank you for stopping by today. I hope you will join in the fun over at Rudolph Days. Mo has an AG Christmas challenge at the end of each month (Jan - Nov). And....if you participate each month throughout the year, your name goes in the hat for a special drawing at the end of the year!! How fun is that??!! See you there.....

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. January Rudolph Days at Scrappy Mo's - Anything Goes Christmas
2. Archi-scraps January Challenge - Use a Tassel
3. DL.ART January Linky Challenge - Anything Goes
4. Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #369 - AG Christmas + opt. Use a Sentiment
5. Word Art Wednesday #318-319 - AG
6. CARDZ-TV - Anything Goes Challenge #32
7. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Layer It
8. ABC Christmas Challenge - A-Antlers or B-Birds
9. Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - January
10. Joy Clair Dec/Jan Challenge - Anything Goes (can use inspiration board)

Season of Sweetness

Hi, Friends.....

I am back with the "companion" card to my Baking Buddies one I posted HERE, with those fun Flappers in the Kitchen.

This time I turned them into Christmas bakers and used a different sentiment from the set. Of course, that meant I needed to turn the layer cake the one is carrying into a fruitcake, too. YUM!!....I LOVE fruitcake....esp when it is full of pecans! (Please tell me that I am not the ONLY person in the world that actually likes it!!) I used gel pens for minimal coloring on the flappers, but I still gave my fruitcake the rich hues of the season. I used scraps for all the panels on my card...YAY!!

Supplies used include:
Flapper Doodle - Flappers in the Kitchen stamp set
Versafine Ink in Onyx Black
Clear embossing powder
Lawn Fawn - Large Stitched Rectangles die set
Gel pens for coloring

Hope you enjoyed this simple layered card. Sometimes it is nice to just let the layers speak for themselves and not have too many adornments. You can achieve a clean look without it looking too plain and barren. Thank you so much for stopping by!!!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #369 - AG Christmas + opt. Use a Sentiment
2. Fashionable Stamping Challenge #131 - Anything Goes
3. Word Art Wednesday #318-319 - AG
4. CARDZ-TV Anything Goes Challenge #31
5. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Add a Sentiment
6. Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - January
7. Joy Clair Dec/Jan Challenge - Anything Goes (can use inspiration board)

 

Baking Buddies

Hi, Friends......

I am here with a perky little kitchen-themed card I made especially for Darlene and Diane's "Kitchen is the Heart of the Home" Challenge, which is part of their big 2 Year BD Celebration. Look at the totally cute inspiration board they provided:

I received this fun Flapper Doodle - Flappers in the Kitchen stamp set a number of months ago in a prize.  It might have been originally sold by MFT, but is now discontinued.  This is the first time it's had ink between its toes. 

 I was inspired by the fun aprons with the bits of red gingham and the kitchen herbs in the mood board.  I kept the stamped image completely uncolored to let the other elements shine.

Supplies used include:
Flapper Doodle - Flappers in the Kitchen stamp set
Versafine Ink in Onyx Black
Clear embossing powder
Lawn Fawn - Large Stitched Rectangles die set
Sizzix - Circles, Scallop die set
M&C Boutique - Large Circle Frame die set
Winnie & Walter - Essentials: Audrey Cutaways die set
Verve - Sprightly Sprigs die set
DCWV Stack - Foiled (silver cardstock)
Silver cording from my stash

Thank you for stopping by today and leaving your sweet comments!!! I have another card I made with these two flappers....a Christmas card. I'll be back later to share that one, too.

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Double D Challenges - Kitchen is the Heart of the Home
2. Word Art Wednesday #318-319 - AG
3. CARDZ-TV Anything Goes Challenge #31
4. As You Like It - Favorite Die and Why  (I used my Verve - Sprightly Sprigs which is one of my very favorite dies for adding a touch of something special to my cards...whether it be to adorn a cluster of flowers or to add a little bit of foliage alone here and there.) 
5. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Add a Sentiment
6. Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - January
7. Love to Scrap LTSCB #105 - Anything Goes
8. Tuesday Throwdown #376 - Anything Goes 
9. Viva la Verve Sketch Challenge - January Sketch

Quick and Easy Cards from Patterned Paper

Hi, Friends......

I am here to share a quick and easy idea for cards I made for one part of Mrs. A's Butterfly Challenge. The theme this fortnight is Butterfly/ies + X for Xtra Fold &/or the color Peacock Green/Blue. I am participating only in the color portion of the challenge this time.

I happened upon two identical 12"X12" pieces of patterned paper in my stash that I had previously cut to size for A2 backgrounds. They were sheets actually made for scrapping rather than cardmaking because they each had this pretty butterfly/floral pattern in the corners and a big blank area in the middle for your photos and embellishments.


Being a cardmaker, I find that these "scrapping" pages can make lovely cards if you cut the decorated parts just right. In this case, I was able to use the main decorated part for the front of the cards and the less decorated (but still pretty) corners for the inside of the cards. I had enough for two identical cards!! Yay!! I am trying to do multiples of most of my cards this year!!

I gave the panels a slight vintage look with some distressing by inking around the edges. I even got a chance to use my new Sea Breeze Tonic Studios - Nuvo Crystal Drops for making a few "dew drops" on the fronts. So pretty!! (Thank you, Karen Ladd!!)

OUTSIDE of the card........and..........INSIDE of the card

To make it a little fancier, I used a lacy border punch on the lower edge and put a scalloped border on the upper edge of the front panel. I don't have a flat scalloped edge border die, so I used the long edge of my favorite and most-used die for backgrounds, the large pierced, scalloped rectangle from Winnie & Walter - Essentials: Audrey Cutaways die set, to cut just the top edge of my panel. If you have pretty-edged rectangle dies, this is an easy way to make a fancy border on one side of your panel.

 
<---Only cut the leading edge of the rectangle.







<-----Stop before you get all the way down to here.

Supplies used include:
DCWV paper
Martha Stewart Edger Punch - Doily Lace
Winnie & Walter - Essentials: Audrey Cutaways die set
Distress Ink in Peacock Feather
Clear Dollar Stamps - Praying for You (discontinued)
Versafine ink in Vintage Sepia
Tonic Studios - Nuvo Crystal Drops in Sea Breeze

Hope you liked this idea for making quick cards from some of those large scrapbooking papers in your stash. Thank you for stopping by!!!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Mrs. A's Butterfly Challenge #93 - Butterfly/ies + X for Xtra Fold &/or the color Peacock Green/Blue
2. Allsorts Week #451 - Butterflies
3. Word Art Wednesday #318-319 - AG
4. HeARTful Stamping Jan 21-28 - AG + a stamp
5. CARDZ-TV Anything Goes Challenge #30 
6. CARDZ-TV Anything Goes Challenge #31
7. The House that Stamps Built - DCC13 - Things with Wings
8. As You Like It - Favorite Die and Why  (My fave is the large scalloped rectangle from my Winnie & Walter - Essentials: Audrey Cutaways die set because of the pretty edge for making lovely layers.)
 9. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Add a Sentiment
10. Tuesday Throwdown Challenge #375 - Distressing
11. Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - January

Warm Winter Wishes

Hi, Friends.......

I am here with the companion card to my shaker that I posted last week. I used the negative space for the shaker and here is the "positive". :) This is the tree that received the rejected snow texture paste I scraped off that same shaker. lol... Looks fine on this tree since it isn't against a white background! I added more sparkle with lots of white glitter. This Poppystamps - Grand Pine Tree die is quickly becoming my favorite focal point die because it is such a nice size to cover a card and it is so gorgeous.

Again, I perched little birdies on the branches. (Awwww....I love wintertime birds!!) They were cut from the leftover scraps from my balloons in THIS card.

Supplies used include:
Poppystamps - Grand Pine Tree die
Memory Box - Resting Birds die set
Core'dinations - heavy duty white cardstock
DecoArt - Snow-Tex Textural Medium
American Crafts - WOW! Super-fine Glitter - White
Zig - Wink of Stella Clear Glitter Brush Pen (to add shimmer to birdies)
Pretty Pink Posh - Sparkling Clear Mix sequins
DCWV patterned paper for background
Winnie & Walter - Essentials: Audrey Cutaways die set (for background)
Winnie & Walter - Comfort + Joy stamp set (for sentiment)
Versamark Ink in Imperial Purple

I love how this card turned out and I hope you like it, too! Thank you so much for stopping by today!!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #368 - AG Christmas + Opt. Feature a Creature
2. Word Art Wednesday #318-319 - AG
3. ABC Christmas Challenge - A-Antlers or B-Birds
4. Dare2BArtzy January Challenge - Winter Wonderland
5. HIMCR #335 - Super Scraps Saturday
6. HeARTful Stamping Challenge #26 (1-14 to 1-21) - Anything Goes, Must Stamp
7. CARDZ-TV Anything Goes Challenge #30
8. The House that Stamps Built - DCC13 - Things with Wings
9. DL.ART Thankful Thursday #220 - Winter or TY
10. As You Like It - Favorite Die and Why (The Poppystamps - Grand Pine Tree die because it makes such a fabulous focal point to my card!)
11. Crop Stop January Linky Party #36 - Anything Goes use a product from company CS sells (I used Tombow adhesive, Core'dinations cardstock, Memory Box dies, Poppystamp dies, and Tsukineko - Versafine ink)
12. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Add a Sentiment
13. The House that Stamps Built - J1018 Tic Tac Toe (I used the middle column - Snowflakes, Blue, Glitter)
14. Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Birds of a Feather
15. Fairy Tale Challenge - Photo Inspiration

 







16. Cupcake Inspirations CIC 437

   

One Layer Butterfly Card with Ultra Pink

Hi, Friends......

Here with a quick post for Mrs. A's Butterfly Challenge. The theme this fortnight is Butterfly/ies + O is for One Layer &/or "the colour Ultra Pink".....which being interpreted into American means "the color Hot Pink". ;) (Just gotta tease my UK friends every so often! <3 )

I had been ruminating on what to do for this challenge for the entire two weeks and suddenly realized tonight that the gates close in just a few hours! Eeek! I pulled out a couple new stamps to use and went to work on a kinda vintage, kinda grungy card. I had to stage it with some embellishments since none were allowed with the One Layer part of the challenge. :)

Supplies used include:
Kaisercraft - Windsor stamp
Prima - Brick stamp
Versafine ink - Onyx Black
Sharpie marker in Hot Pink Ultra Pink
Distress Ink in Spun Sugar
White Cardstock

What do you think of it?  Should I have stamped the bricks on the right side all the way over to the vintage image?  I think I might have liked that a little better.  Oh, well...  One Layer Cards are not my forte but getting out of our comfort zone is what challenges are all about, right? This one was a little scary, but a lot of fun!

Thank you for stopping by and thank you for your encouraging comments!! They make my day. :)

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Mrs. A's Butterfly Challenge #92 - Butterfly/ies + O is for One Layer &/or the Color Ultra Pink
2. Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge #316-317   
3. Love to Scrap LTSCB #105 - Anything Goes
4. Craft Stamper January TIMI Challenge - Anything Goes with Stamping
5. Penny Black at All Sorts - Something New (must stamp focal)
6. HeARTful Stamping Challenge #26 (1-14 to 1-21) - Anything Goes, Must Stamp
7. CARDZ-TV Anything Goes Challenge #30
8. The House that Stamps Built - DCC13 - Things with Wings
9. Tuesday Throwdown Challenge #375 - Distressing 
10. Allsorts Week #450 - No Patterned Papers

Joyeux Noel Shaker

 

Hi, Friends.......

First off, let me tell you that making this card nearly put me in the grave. Shakers and I do not get along. And, add to that.....my snow textural medium was NOT WHITE!!! When I put it on the white card base, it looked a three-year-old had spread outdated vanilla frosting from a tub all over it. ARRRGH!!  (The medium was quite ancient...do you think that had anything to do with it?  Naaaw...surely not!  Ha.)

Well, I am pleased to tell you that after much (and I do mean MUCH!!) scraping, repositioning, trimming off of uneven edges (not to mention weeping and gnashing of teeth!), I managed to make a decent-looking card. I am as astonished as you are!!

I actually intended to make a card with the tree diecut first, instead of the negative.  But I got so excited with the prospect of making a shaker..that I did this one first.  (I'll never make that mistake again!!  LOL)  Can you see the little birdies in the tree?  These are from my new Memory Box - Resting Birds die set.  LOVE!!!  Can you also see the rainbow refraction from the light on the acetate surface?  Oh, bummer.  I hoped it wasn't too noticeable.  Ugh.  :(

I tried to disguise the remnants of the snow medium (after scraping off as much as I could) with white glitter. Although you can still see that it is not white (that's my new color name for this...."not white"!), it isn't too bad. Not like it was. Trust me on this!

I should have put more shaker mix inside. When the card is standing upright, it all falls down into the trunk of the tree. But I never know the right amount to add!!  And after it is all attached, what do you do????  Below is a shot of it lying flat. For some unknown reason, the silver embossing and shaker mix has morphed into gold.  (I always say I am an alchemist at heart, but even I didn't realize I had thiiiiiis much talent!!  Weird.)

Supplies used include:
Poppystamps - Grand Pine Tree die
Memory Box - Resting Birds die set
Core'dinations - heavy duty white cardstock
DecoArt - Snow-Tex Textural Medium
American Crafts - WOW! Super-fine Glitter - White
Acetate sheet from stash
Loctite - Spray Adhesive (to attach acetate sheet to die-cut card front)
Memory Box - Resting Birds die set
Zig - Wink of Stella Clear Glitter Brush Pen (to add shimmer to birdies)
Tombow Multi Mono Glue (to attach birdies to acetate)
Scotch - Mounting Tape
Pretty Pink Posh - Silver Confetti 6mm
My Mind's Eye - All is Bright stamp set (sadly discontinued)
Versamark Ink
Ranger - Embossing Powder - silver
My Favorite Things Die-namics - Stitched Oval STAX die set
Ten years off my life (looking at the length of this list, I can see why!!  EEK.)

Thank you for visiting my blog today to take a look at my shaker card. I actually have an idea forming in my brain (such as it is!) that might make shakers easier for me to construct....one can only hope!!! Thank you for your kind comments!!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #367 - AG Christmas w/ opt something old or upcycled
2. Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge #316-317
3. Love to Scrap LTSCB #105 - Anything Goes
4. Artistic Stamper Challenge #1 - Anything Goes (must stamp)
5. Tuesday Throwdown #374 - Layer It Up!
6. ABC Christmas Challenge - A-Antlers or B-Birds
7. Craft Stamper January TIMI Challenge - Anything Goes with Stamping
8. Dare2BArtzy January Challenge - Winter Wonderland
9. Poppy Stamps PSC40 - Snow Day
10. Memory Box Challenge #32 - Snow and Winter
11. Crop Stop January Linky Party #36 - Anything Goes use a product from company CS sells (I used Tombow adhesive, Core'dinations cardstock, Scotch Mounting Tape, Memory Box dies, Poppystamp dies, MFT Dies, and Tsukineko - Versafine ink)
12. Cupcake Inspirations CIC 437

 

Birthday Balloons - Winnie & Walter

Hi, Friends......

I am here with a fun card I made for this month's Winnie & Walter Rerun Challenge. The showcased set this month is The Party. I don't own this set so I am taking inspiration from a couple of the cards that were featured: Shay's super-fun card with the stamped background HERE and the balloons from Heather's card HERE.

I stamped and die cut my balloons from one of my leftover Easter egg dye backgrounds. Love the pretty pink, purple, and blue colors. I put the balloon die cuts through my Xyron Sticker Maker so they would be easy to stick down to my background.

Supplies used include:
Winnie & Walter - LS Exclusives: So Tweet with Evelin T Designs stamp set
Versafine Ink - Onyx Black
Winnie & Walter - LS Exclusives: So Tweet with Evelin T Designs die set
Winnie & Walter - In a Word: Happy Cutaway die
Winnie & Walter - In a Word: Happy stamp set
DCWV background cardstock
Winnie & Walter - Essentials: Audrey Cutaways die set
Canson - Mixed Media paper
Xyron Sticker Maker

Hope you liked my card. It was really fun to make those colorful balloons.....and hooray that I actually remembered to use my sticker maker for attaching them!! How many of you have one or two of those stuck away in your stash that never see the light of day? I have it on good word that they dry up and become unusable if they are not put into crafty employ regularly. So get yours out right away!! :) Thank you for stopping by today.

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Winnie & Walter Rerun #27 Challenge - The Party
2. Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Winter Blues
3. Love to Scrap LTSCB #105 - Anything Goes
4. Artistic Stamper Challenge #1 - Anything Goes (must stamp)
5. HeARTful Stamping Challenge - Anything Goes + a stamp
6. Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge #316-317
7. Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - January
8. Tuesday Throwdown #374 - Layer It Up!
9. DL.ART January Linky Challenge - Anything Goes    
10. Double D - 2 Birthday/Anniversary Inspiration Board (I was inspired by the balloons in the pretty purples, pinks and blues)

11. Cupcake Inspirations CIC 437

Nobody Owns a Cat

This HAD been a clean tub!!!  I believe Caspian was the culprit....

Thank you, everyone, for your kind comments of sympathy at the loss of our sweet Shy-Cat. You might wonder how to say her name, Chaienne. It's pronounced "Shy-enn" and that's why we shortened it to "Shy". She wasn't shy by nature......more like sly.  So sometimes we called her "Sly Shy". 

This last year, we discovered that she preferred to drink from the leftover drips of shower water pooled by the drain in the tub, rather than from her full dish of fresh water. Since we were having trouble keeping her hydrated, we began keeping a cat water bowl in the tub. 

Well, she's gone now and we would take it out, but now the other cats are habituated to drinking from there.  A couple of them even get on the verge of urinary tract infections if they can't get to that bathtub water bowl when they come inside the house!!  All the while, it is totally wet and sloppy outside with scores of clean puddles of half-melted snow and ice everywhere.  But, noooooooo.....they have to come inside and make muddy pawprints in the clean tub while they get a drink of water.  Honestly....CATS!!  <3  <3  <3

Hi, Friends......

I was missing my Shy-Baby and decided to make a kitty card with a fabulous new-to-me cat stamp. I had found it at a thrift store a few months back. I loved it, but decided I couldn't justify spending the few dollars that they were asking for it (for yet another cat stamp).....but perhaps my son would like to give it to me for Christmas!!! :)


So....I went ahead and purchased it and handed it to him.  I told him he should hang onto it and put it in my Christmas stocking because I would never remember it by then. I was right. I had forgotten it completely and was delighted all over again. Hahaha!! (Ain't getting old great?!!!)

There are a number of challenges out there right now with a "Something New" theme so I am using this unlabeled stamp and also a sentiment strip from my new Kaisercraft - Pawfect paper set. Fun!!!

Isn't that a fabulous cat image????  I adore all the detail on it.

Supplies used include:
Thrift store cat stamp
Versafine Ink in Vintage Sepia
Clear embossing powder
Scrap of Core'dinations Kraft cardstock
Kaisercraft - Pawfect paper set
Scraps of DCWV paper from my stash

Thank you for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed seeing my card. I appreciate your kind comments so much!!!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. SUYP Cats Only Challenge #25 - Furrything Goes or Meowy Christmas
2. Penny Black at All Sorts - Something New (must stamp focal)
3. All Sorts Week #449 - Something New
4. Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Something New
5. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Something New
6. Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - January
7. Pixie's Snippets Playground Weeks #315-316 - Use Snippets
8. Love to Scrap  LTSCB #105 - Anything Goes
9. Artistic Stamper Challenge #1 - Anything Goes (must stamp)
10. HeARTful Stamping Challenge - Anything Goes + a stamp
11. Craft Stamper January TIMI Challenge - Anything Goes with Stamping
12. DL.ART January Linky Challenge - Anything Goes   

Goodbye, Dear Old Shy-Cat

Chaienne 2001-2018 

We lost our dear Shy-Cat on Friday evening.  She had been failing over a number of months to where my vet hubby had not thought she would make it through last summer.  Then I didn't know if she would make it through my Cat Lovers Hop in October.  Then she surprisingly made it to the New Year, but barely.  

The last couple of days were so heartbreaking as she had little strength even to hold her head out of her food dish.  We knew it was time to let her go and were prepared to have my hubby put her down, but she died naturally at age 16-1/2 years.  There is an emptiness without her here, even though we are comforted knowing we did all we could for her.  

Thank you for sharing my sadness with me. 

<3
Janis

Happy Birthday - Winnie & Walter

Hi, Friends......

I am here with another card to share for the Winnie & Walter December Color Combo Challenge. Love this gorgeous palette that Heather chose for us this month!! It was especially fun to work with the lavender in this inspiration board!

I'm using another part of this lovely K&Co. paper that I have long hoarded.  Often when I use a pretty piece of patterned paper for a layered background, I will cut the middle of it with another smaller die shape to use later.  The hole is hidden underneath the top layer in my finished card and I have a tag or other smaller shape for another card.  This time I layered the cut-out tag on top of the covered up hole for a coordinated look.

Supplies used include:
Winnie & Walter - In a Word: Happy Cutaway die
Winnie & Walter - In a Word: Happy stamp set
Versafine Ink in Majestic Blue
Winnie & Walter - Essentials: Katharine Cutaways die set (for tag)
Winnie & Walter - Essentials: Audrey Cutaways die set (for scalloped backgrounds)
Ribbon from stash

Thank you for stopping by to see my cards today! I hope you have a lovely weekend!!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Winnie & Walter December Color Combo Challenge
2. Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - January
3. Creative Knockouts #227 - Celebrations
4. CARDZ-TV Anything Goes #29 
5. Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge #316-317 
6. Double D - 2 Birthday/Anniversary Inspiration Board (I was inspired by the happy colors and flowery prints)