Candy Cane Wishes - Christmas Kickstart and Rudolph Days

Hi, Friends......

I'm here with a card for the new theme over at Jo's Christmas Kickstart Challenge #5: Have a Very Bear-y Christmas. This was quite a challenge for me because I have very few bears in my Christmas stash. I have mentioned before that I have made it a personal challenge to use long-neglected stamps for Jo's themes. 

The only bears I could find in my holiday collection were some small stamps, including one or two from an ancient foam-mount All Night Media - Christmas stamp set that my daughter found at a thrift store for me some time back. I thought one in particular would be cute for stamping a background, along with a candy cane from the same set. I rarely stamp my own backgrounds, so "bear" with me on this one!! :)

As you can see from the photo below, the bear I chose was actually a To and From stamp.

I masked off the words from the bear before inking each time......and removed the washi tape masks before stamping. I thought I might have to get fresh washi for the masks, but they lasted for the duration of stamping this card. Yay!

Winnie & Walter has an Altering Stamps by Masking Challenge going right now as part of their 5th Birthday Bash, so I will be entering this card in that challenge.

The words that I masked were very close to the image on the stamp, so I used my fingernail to tuck the washi in between them. Now I have black fingertips. (Photo not included...Ha.)

Supplies used include:
Very ancient All Night Media - Christmas stamp set (bear and candy cane)
Distress Markers for watercoloring
Tsukineko - Memento Ink in Tuxedo Black
Ranger - Archival Ink (Wendy Vecchi Designer Series) in Carnation Red
Winnie & Walter - Comfort + Joy stamp set (star)
Versamark ink
Embossing Powder - Gold
Winnie & Walter - Essentials: Audrey Cutaways die set
Winnie & Walter - Essentials: Katharine Cutaways die set
Candy Cane Wishes stamp unkn mfr from stash
Versafine ink in Satin Red
Sparkle Embossing Powder
Baker's Twine

Hope you enjoyed this sweet Christmas card. Thank you to Jo at Christmas Kickstart for fab themes that challenge me to dig deep in my stash for old stamps to ink up. It is fun to figure out creative ways to use them!!  

❤
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Christmas Kickstart Challenge #5: Have a Very Bear-y Christmas
2. Winnie & Walter - Altering Stamps by Masking Challenge
3. Winnie & Walter 5th Birthday Bash - Layering Die Cuts Challenge (I layered two die cuts for my background)
4. Winnie & Walter 5th Birthday Bash - 5 Challenge (my card has 5 layers: card base + two background layers + two sentiment panel layers)
5. Winnie & Walter 5th Birthday Bash - 3+ Stamp Set Challenge (I used W&W + All Night Media + Unkn mfr sentiment stamp)
6. Rudolph Days at Scrappy Mo's February Challenge
7. ABC Christmas Challenge C is for Candy
8. Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #426 - AG Christmas opt Use some gold

Aperture Card - With Gratitude

Hi, Friends......

I am here with a quick post for my last-minute entry into Mrs. A's Butterfly Challenge. She is entering Year 6 of her lovely challenges and now offers an additional way to play along......a card style/shape to make. This fortnight's challenge has Butterfly(ies) + the Letter A as the theme and Aperture is the style....in addition to other "A" options: Colors Amber, Apple Green, and Almond and Themes of Acetate, Aperture, and Anything. Her challenges are more fun and inspiring all the time!!

Here's the aperture card I made:

Here it is opened up:

Supplies used include:
My Favorite Things Die-namics - Stitched Square STAX die set
Vintage looking Butterfly and Lace stickers from my stash
K&Co. patterned paper
Want 2 Scrap - Adhesive Pearls

I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to make an aperture style card. I need to make some again!! Thank you, Mrs. A, for this challenge.

❤
Janis



Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Mrs. A's Butterfly Challenge #117 - Butterly(ies) + the Letter A (I used Aperture + Apple Green + Almond + Anything [Adhesive Pearls])
2. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - No Stamps Allowed
3. CARDZ-TV Anything Goes Challenge #83
4. DL.ART February Linky Challenge - AG
5. Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper February Challenge
6. Word-Art Wednesday Week #374-375 - AG
7. Unstampabelles Challenge #86 - Bright and Cheerful
8. Cards Und More Challenge #33 - AG Someone Special
9. Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Vintage/Past Times

Set of Masculine Graduation Cards - W&W

Hi, Friends......

I am here with a set of masculine Congrats cards. I get orders for graduation cards in the spring, so I thought I would make several of these to have on hand for people to select if they don't need a customized one. I think these will work perfect for teen guys.

Winnie & Walter is celebrating this month with a big 5th Birthday Bash and one of their challenges is Layering Die Cuts. Shay's immensely popular In a Word Series is just perfect for layering and I often do a "shadow" effect by off-setting the cuts slightly when I layer them. That's what I have done for each of these cards. (I have some tips on doing this at the bottom of the post.)

Here's my set...............

The tags are cut from the "middles" of layered black backgrounds.  YAY!

  And here's a close-up of one of them..........

Supplies used include:
Winnie & Walter - In a Word: Congrats Cutaway die
Tombow Multi Mono Glue
Winnie & Walter - Essentials: Katharine Cutaways die set (for tag)
Darice - Checkered Embossing Folder (retired)
DCWV patterned paper
Quick Quotes - Copper Brads
Scraps of solid and glitter cardstock from stash
Ribbon from Stash

  
Here are a few tips on layering die cuts:


I find that sometimes my die cuts get a little skewed out of shape when I remove them from the die or during storage. I made a scrap template for my words so I can easily straighten them out.







The template also helps when I am layering them. I put my bottom layer word in the template and dot glue in the appropriate places. I use an old globby bottle of Tombow Multi Mono glue. The globbiness is an advantage when adhering the die cuts together....no gloozing! (That's glue oozing! lol....) I use my globby glue for all my die cuts with narrow sections.

For a shadow effect, I offset my top layer word over the top of the bottom layer while still in the template.  Since the the top layer overhangs the template slightly, just pop it out from the bottom upwards.  It is aligned perfectly and ready to apply to your card.



Hope you enjoyed seeing my cards. Thank you for stopping by!!

❤
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this set of cards in the following challenges:
1. Winnie & Walter 5th Birthday Bash - Layering Die Cuts Challenge
2. Winnie & Walter 5th Birthday Bash - 5 Challenge (my card has 5 layers: card base, background, tag, two layers on Congrats)
3. Winnie & Walter 5th Birthday Bash - Card Set Challenge
4. Simon Says Stamp - No Stamps Allowed
5. Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper February Challenge
6. Word-Art Wednesday Week #374-375 - AG
7. Unstampabelles Challenge #86 - Bright and Cheerful (I think the glittery cardstock makes it bright AND cheerful....and the patterned paper is rather arty.)
8. CARDZ-TV Anything Goes Challenge #83
9. DL.ART February Linky Challenge - AG
10. Cards Und More Challenge #33 - AG Someone Special
11. Pixie's Snippets Playground Challenge #346 - Use Snippets

Arty Zinnias

Hi, Friends.....

I am here with a card that is over 20 years in the making. (I TOLD you I am slow at making cards! Hahahaha....) My story is long (so you can just skip to the card, if you wish!) and starts long, long ago in a state far away.....actually, right next door to Idaho where I live now.

Way back when I was first starting to stamp, I purchased some pretty floral and vase wood-mount stamps. I was still learning the basics of stamping and masking. Using some ancient black ink pad (that I prob still have somewhere!!!), I stamped this vase, masked it, and then repeatedly stamped the zinnias....not masking them from each other. Well.....it didn't look anything like what I was expecting.....it was black flowers in a patterned vase. Ugh... (Ha! Not sure why I expected anything different than this!!! lol...)

I eventually progressed in my stamping experiments to coloring on these stamps with a marker before stamping and that worked a lot better. But I liked this particular bouquet arrangement, so I didn't discard the stamped/masked image......I just stuffed it into a box with my early stamping supplies and moved it all over Oregon, Washington, and Idaho......and.......several months ago I found it again!!!

It is amazing what 20+ years can do to your perspective. I loved the arty look of these solid zinnias, and thought to myself...."Hey, I finally know what to do with these!!" I got my Spectrum Noir markers out and started coloring right over the solid black ink. I LOVE IT!!!! I colored these several months ago, and just today decided to team it up with some Winnie & Walter supplies to make a card. So.......yes, this card took over 20 years to make!! :)

I think the shadowy black stamping on the flowers gives them almost a 3-D look.

Winnie & Walter has a "Use 3+ stamp sets" Challenge right now during their 5th Birthday Bash. You can see the two ancient wood-mount stamps and the newer stamp set I used in the photo below. It's not exactly 3 stamp *sets*, but I hope this qualifies for their challenge.

Supplies used include:
Ancient long-retired stamps: Stampendous - Ginger Jar H65 and Rubber Stampede - Zippy Zinnia Z221E
Winnie & Walter - Sentimental: Gift stamp set
Versafine ink in Onyx Black
Winnie & Walter - Essentials: Katharine Cutaways die set
Winnie & Walter - Essentials: Tilda Cutaways die set
Spectrum Noir markers
Core'dinations and Darice solid cardstock

Hope you like my bright floral card!! Maybe these vivid colors will help take away some winter dreariness. We are bracing for single digits tonight and more snow in the next few days. Hope you are staying safe and warm. Thank you for stopping by!!!

❤
Janis


Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Winnie & Walter 5th Birthday Bash - 3+ Stamp Set Challenge
2. Winnie & Walter 5th Birthday Bash - 5 Challenge (my card has 5 zinnias)
3. Winnie & Walter Build a Scene Using Masking Challenge (I masked to put flower stems inside the jar)
4. Mod Squad Challenge - Spring Flowers
5. Craft Stamper February TIMI Challenge - AG with Stamping
6. Word-Art Wednesday Week #374-375 - AG
7. Penny Black and More February Challenge - AG w/ opt of tags
8. CARDZ-TV Anything Goes Challenge #83
9. Jo's Fun-Day Friday Challenge #269 - Anything Goes

Holiday Wishes Just for You

Hi, Friends.......

I am here with a card for the current Christmas Kickstart Challenge which is Christmas + Have a Heart. This one was a head-scratcher for me because I don't really have very many Christmas stamps with hearts on them.....and none where the hearts are an integral part of the design. There are a few that have a tiny heart included somewhere, but that's not what I wanted for this challenge.

I try to make it my personal challenge on Jo's Christmas Kickstart themes to use a neglected stamp from my stash. Since my Valentine supplies were still out, I hit on the idea of making a faux Nordic-look card with a hitherto unused stamp from a decades-old Rubber Stampede Country Hearts foam mount stamp set. Even though it isn't actually a Christmas stamp, I think it works with the holiday sentiment. What do you think?

Winnie & Walter is having their 5th Birthday Celebration and one of the challenges is to make a set, instead of a single card. So I made 4 of these cards. They also have a challenge asking you to incorporate "5" of something in your entry....so I made a 5-word sentiment from one of their sets.

Supplies used include:
Winnie & Walter - Essentials: Katharine Cutaways die set
Winnie & Walter - Sentimental: Gift stamp set
Versafine ink in Onyx Black
Rubber Stampede - Country Hearts stamp set (loooooooong retired, but avail on eBay)
Versafine ink in Satin Red
Sparkle embossing powder
My Favorite Things Die-namics - Stitched Square STAX die set
Scraps of gingham and solid cardstock

Hope you liked my set of cards! They were fun to make. Do you think that heart stamp works okay for Christmas cards? Thank you for stopping by today!!!

❤
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Christmas Kickstart Challenge #4 - Have a Heart
2. Winnie & Walter 5th Birthday Bash - 5 Challenge (my sentiment has 5 words)
3. Winnie & Walter 5th Birthday Bash - Card Set Challenge
4. Lost Coast Challenge #70 - It's Hip to be Square
5. Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #425 - AG Christmas
6. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Black/White + One Other Color
7. The Artistic Stamper February Challenge - Heart It
8. Crafter's Castle February Challenge - AG opt Valentine

You're a Purr-fect Friend - House Mouse

Looks like the kitty on my card!

Hi, Friends.....

I don't play with my House Mouse stamps nearly often enough....and I don't know why! I noticed their current challenge was closing very soon, though, so thought I'd try to squeak-squeak in with an entry. I adore all the HM images, but my faves have kitties also. Love this retired one with the meece snuggled up with their friend, the barn kitty, in the warm straw. I used soft peach and gray to contrast with the aged barn wood to keep the card from being too dark.

Products used include:
Stampendous - House Mouse Designs - Cat Nap
Versafine ink in Smokey Gray
Clear embossing powder
Spectrum Noir alcohol markers
My Favorite Things - Cat-itude stamp set
Winnie & Walter - Essentials: Audrey Cutaways die set
Twine from a W&W package

Hope you like my sweet card. Thank you so much for stopping by!! Stay safe and warm from all the winter storms.

❤
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. House Mouse & Friends Challenge #284 AG w/ opt Love/Valentine
2. Southern Girls Challenge - Animal Antics
3. TCP Tuesday Challenge #354 - Furry Friends
4. SUYP Challenge 39 - Furrything Goes
5. Craft Stamper February TIMI Challenge - AG with Stamping

Bunches of Valentines

Hi, Friends.......

A friend gave me an order for 15 valentines and so I went a bit crazy with some seldom-used stamps, my long format scraps, and my Winnie & Walter - True Dotty Heart Cutaways die set!!! 
So. Much. Fun!! After Christmas cards, Valentines are my favorite cards to make. I think I ended up making 24 in all....same design, but each a little bit different....so she had a good variety choose from.

I selected this one in traditional colors (mostly) to display on my blog, but you can see some others in wild colors at the bottom of this post. I will put a few of them on my Flickr to enter in some other challenges.

Supplies used for this valentine include:
Winnie & Walter - Big Hugs with Evelin T Designs stamp set
Versafine ink in Satin Red
Winnie & Walter - True Dotty Heart Cutaways die set
Tonic Studios - Nuvo Crystal Drops
Scraps, scraps, scraps!!!

Here are some of the others I made.......which ones catch your eye?? I really love the pastel ones and the ones in deep purple.

Thank you so much for stopping by today!! I hope you enjoyed seeing all these variations on a theme. My son will be my Valentine date this week since hubby is out of town. What do you have planned with your special one?

❤
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this (top) valentine in the following challenges:
1. Card Mania Challenge #CMC113 - Love is in the Air 
2. Crafter's Castle February Challenge - AG opt Valentine
3. Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper February Challenge 
4. Double D Challenge - Hearts (any color)
5. WordArt Wednesday Weeks #372-373 - AG
6. The House that Stamps Built - DCC26 - Use Pink and/or Red
7. Power Poppy - Creative Confetti Challenge - All You Need is Love
8. Die Cut Divas February Challenge - Love is in the Air
9. Moving Along with the Times Challenge #90 - Add a Sentiment
10. TIME OUT Challenge #128

Fly Away with Me

Hi, Friends.......

Do you ever have one of those times when you know you have a particular piece of patterned paper or perhaps a certain embellishment in your stash....somewhere...but where???? That happened for me while trying to make this card.

Mrs. A's Butterfly Challenge this fortnight is centered around Butterfly/ies + the Letter K: Kraft cardstock, Knot it, Kite...and some K colors: Kelly Green, Kobe, and Kobi (yep...real colors!! lol). A fun combo.  Could I possibly do all 7 again this time, as I did last challenge????

I knew I had a whimsical piece of patterned paper with a green sky (which I think is a little odd, but whatever!), a butterfly, and brightly colored flowers in pink and yellow. But WHERE could it be???? I also knew I had a Doodlebug kite sticker (which I easily located...amazingly) that miiiiiiiiiiiiiight match said patterned paper...if I could ever find it.

A much longer search than I wish to admit ensued as I rummaged through every tub and shelf of paper I own looking for this sheet that I could have sworn I had seen recently. Turned out that I had put it in my green "trimmed-to-A2-size-and-ready-to-use" backgrounds so it would be EASILY AVAILABLE!!! Hahahahaha.....so much for that system of organization!!!

Well, after that, the rest of the card was easy!  And.....wonder of wonders, the kite matched the paper!!  A knotted piece of white ribbon completed all 7 requirements....again!! I must say I am totally floored and have no explanation for how this happened.
(BEWARE: Something in the universe is prob going out of alignment very soon since this is the second time in a row I have managed to do this!! EEK!)

Supplies used include:
Lawn Fawn - Hello Sunshine stamp set
Versamark Ink
WOW! Embossing Powder - Opaque Bright White Regular
Kite sticker from Doodlebug - Springtime collection (retired)
Winnie & Walter - Essentials: Audrey Cutaways die set
Pretty Pink Posh - Sparkling Clear Mix sequins
Core'dinations kraft cardstock
DCWV solid pink cardstock scraps
Ribbon, rhinestones, and that elusive piece of patterned paper...from my stash

Hope you like my light-hearted spring card. You still have a few days left to join us over at the Butterfly Challenge. Hope to see you there!!


❤
Janis 

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Butterfly Challenge #116 - Butterfly + K is for.... (I did all 7 things AGAIN!!!)
2. Penny Black and More February Challenge - AG w/ opt of tags
3. Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday - Dies/Punches or Hearts
4. CARDZ-TV Anything Goes Challenge #82
5. WordArt Wednesday Weeks #372-373 - AG
6. Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper February Challenge
7. Papercraft Challenge #15 - AG opt Valentine or Love
8. Double Trouble Challenge #21 - Flowers + Butterflies
9. Crafter's Castle February Challenge - AG opt Valentine
10. Moving Along with the Times Challenge #90 - Add a Sentiment

Love You So Much

Hi, Friends.......

I am here with a pretty card with lots of sparkle and gleam. I never feel particularly constrained to use traditional colors for things....so I think this could totally work as a valentine! ❤❤❤







My card is inspired by the gorgeous mood board from the Winnie & Walter January Color Combo Challenge. Look at those scrumptious colors: Mint, Gold, and Silver. Totally swooning here!!








I already had a pretty mint-colored smooshed background on hand, but it was a challenge for me to use both gold and silver along with it....since I usually don't mix metals. Embossing powder to the rescue!!! 

I heat embossed my background image with both gold and silver. I sprinkled the first color over just a couple parts of the rose background, being careful to tip the excess powder away from the image, and melted it as usual. The Versamark ink was still sticky on the other parts so I could easily sprinkle the second color over it and emboss as usual. Love the effect!!!

I wanted to use the love sentiment but the die cut seemed to get visually lost in the background pattern. To remedy that, I put some vellum down first to set it off. The translucent strip gives just enough contrast so the sentiment doesn't vanish! :)

Here's another shot so you can see the gleam of the embossing and of the DCWV Mercury Glass matting panel. Love love love!!!! The little hearts are from the same W&W So Tweet set as the sentiment.

Supplies used include:
Winnie & Walter - Mini Scenery: Bed of Roses stamp
Winnie & Walter - LS Exclusives: So Tweet with Evelin T Designs stamp set
Winnie & Walter - LS Exclusives: So Tweet with Evelin T Designs die set
Versamark Ink
Ranger - Embossing Powder silver and gold
Winnie & Walter - Essentials: Audrey Cutaways die set
Winnie & Walter - Essentials: Katharine Cutaways die set
DCWV Mercury Glass Stack
Smooshed background on mixed media paper from my stash
Scraps of vellum and various solid cardstock from my stash

Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by today. I hope you like my card!!

❤
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Winnie & Walter January Color Combo Challenge
2. Allsorts Challenge #505 - Love
3. Power Poppy - Creative Confetti Challenge - All You Need is Love
4. The Artistic Stamper February Challenge - Heart It
5. Dare2BArtzy February Challenge - LOVE
6. Penny Black and More February Challenge - AG w/ opt of tags
7. Craft Stamper February TIMI Challenge - AG with Stamping
8. Die Cut Divas February Challenge - Love is in the Air
9. Papercraft Challenge #15 - AG opt Valentine or Love
10. Card Mania Challenge #CMC113 - Love is in the Air
11. Double D Challenge - Hearts (any color)
12. Double Trouble Challenge #21 - Flowers + Atlantic Hearts Sketch
13. Lost Coast Challenge #69 - Love and Hearts
14. Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday - Dies/Punches or Hearts
15. CARDZ-TV Anything Goes Challenge #82
16. Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #302 

For a Very Special Person: Di Wray

A dog poster in honor of Di's sweet pup, Dudley.  ❤

Hi, Friends......

I am here with a pretty card to honor a wonderful lady: Di Wray. As many of you already know, Di is the wonderfully entertaining hostess over at Pixie's Snippets Playground where she recently celebrated 7 years of Playground Fun as she encourages us to use the snippets in our stash. 

The Playground is one of my favorite challenges because I have a ton of scraps (or snippets, as they are more charmingly known in the UK) and I love finding ways to use them. Di showcases a fabulous prize each fortnight with a beautiful card of her own making. Most of these prizes are generously provided by Di, herself, and posted all over the world. WOW! I have been on the receiving end of a number of these sweet gifts.....and some of them are among my most used stamps and dies!

Our dear blogging friend, Darnell, at djkardkreations masterminded a Thank You, Di, Blog Hop to honor and thank Di for all her kindness and generosity.
(I'm not quite sure where or whether to put commas in the "Thank You, Di, Blog Hop". Just between you and me, I don't think Darnell knows, either. Her blog post is titled: "Thank You DI Blog Hop". I always thought "DI" stood for Disability Insurance....which I might need if I try to do much actual HOPPING!! Hey, at my age...I might be nearly as thankful for some DI as I am for dear Di!!!)

So this card is for you, Di..........with my love and thanks for all your time, generosity, and the tons of fun over at the Playground! ❤❤❤

Supplies used include:
Winnie & Walter - Sentimental: Gift stamp set
Versamark Ink
WOW! Embossing Powder - Opaque Bright White Regular
Winnie & Walter - True Dotty Heart Cutaways die set
Scraps of DCWV patterned cardstock
Scraps of Core'dinations cardstock in pink and kraft
Dollar Store Butterflies
Prima - Gold Doilies
Recollections Washi Tape
Neat & Tangled - Mint Satin Sequins (retired)

Hope Di likes my card and I hope YOU will check out all the other tributes to the lovely Di Wray over at Darnell's Hop. Come join us at the Playground, too!! This fortnight's challenge is up for you to play with your snippets. You will love Di's tales of Dudley, Parsnip, the backyard hedgies, the neighbor kids, and Len.

❤
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Thank You, Di, Blog Hop
2. Butterfly Challenge #116 - Butterfly + K is for.... (I used Kraft cardstock, Kelly green, and Kobi...a pale pink magenta color.)
3. Pixie's Snippets Playground Challenge #345
4.. Power Poppy - Creative Confetti Challenge - All You Need is Love 
5. Dare2BArtzy February Challenge - LOVE  
6. Die Cut Divas February Challenge - Love is in the Air
7. WordArt Wednesday Weeks #372-373 - AG
8. Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper February Challenge
9. Papercraft Challenge #15 - AG opt Valentine or Love 
10. Card Mania Challenge #CMC113 - Love is in the Air
11. DL.ART February Linky Challenge - AG
12. Double Trouble Challenge #21 - Flowers + Butterflies 
13. Lost Coast Challenge #69 - Love and Hearts
14. Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday - Dies/Punches or Hearts
15. CARDZ-TV Anything Goes Challenge #82  
16. MFT Sketch Challenge #422