GIVEAWAY!! Purr-fect Birthday...Dry Embossed with Ink

Hi, Friends.....

I do love me some cats and hearts and some bright colors....esp pink!....so I am here with a couple of fun cards to share with you for the Let's Squash It! Challenge.  The current challenge (still open for another few days!) is Challenge #4 - Embossing Folder + Animal.  

Get your shades on.......and let's take a look!  

I LOVE LOVE LOVE having some inky fun.....so I smooshed my Distress Ink cubes directly onto my embossing folder, and then gave it a light misting of water, and embossed a piece of white cardstock.  You never know what you are going to get on crazy projects like these but I LOVE the results.....even if I have to clean a bunch of drips and sprays up afterwards.  It's all part of the process!!!  Fun!

A few tricks I have learned that help with this technique:
1. Use heavy-duty cardstock.  I use some 110 lb. weight that holds up well to the drenching it inevitably endures.
2. Use colors that will blend well with each other so when they bleed into each other you get a pleasing mix....not mud.  :)
3. Plan ahead as to which part you want to be colored....the design or the background....and smoosh the color on that side of the folder.  Here I wanted lots of color so I smooshed the background.  Just smooshing the cats and hearts would have yielded a different look....mostly white.
4. Fly with the arty look.  Don't stress about a bit of ink on the "white" parts.  It's all good.
5. If there are places that did not get enough ink, you can take a brush and pick up some of your ink from your pad and fill in where you need more color. 
6. If the paper is curly and warped after it dries completely, you can flatten it out under a heavy book.  If that is not enough, slip it back inside the cleaned-up folder and re-"squash" it.  Just make sure you get it positioned correctly so the ridges and bumps are in the right spots of the folder.  Comes out nice and flat...with fresh crisp embossing.  :)

Here's one I made in cool tones:

Supplies used include:
Darice - Cats embossing folder
Distress Inks
Core'dinations - heavy duty white cardstock
Fiskars - Friends Furever stamp set
Waffle Flower - Flora Cat Meow stamp set
Winnie & Walter - Essentials: Katharine Cutaways die set - retired
My Favorite Things Die-namics - Stitched Oval STAX die set (apparently retired)

Did you notice that I mentioned I have a............

GIVEAWAY?????

I have two extra of these adorable Darice - Cats embossing folders.  I would like to gift one of them to the Prize Vault at the Let's Squash It Challenge Blog (Jo or Gail, please contact me to arrange this if you are interested).....and I would like to give one of them away to one of my commenters.

 

Here's how to enter to win one from my blog:
1. Leave a comment on this blog post clearly stating "Yes, please" for the prize draw and also leave your email address (in code is fine). 
2. Deadline for entries is 11:59 pm Pacific time, Feb. 2, 2021.
3. I will use random.org to help me select a winner.
4. I will announce the winner here on my blog a day or so later. 
5. Open internationally.....as long as I can mail to your country during the Covid insanity. I will do my part, but sadly I cannot guarantee delivery to international winners even if I mail it.  This is a weird time!!

Hope you enjoyed seeing my cards.  If you have a longing in the depths of your stash for that embossing folder I hope you will enter my drawing, too.  Have a joy-filled day!!!

❤
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Let's Squash It! Challenge #4 - Embossing Folder + Animal
2. Word Art Wednesday - Week #475-#476 - AG
3. Pam's Inky Pinkies Challenge #2104 - Anything Goes
4. Hero Arts Stay Crafty Challenge #19 - Add a Heart
5. Creative Fingers Challenge #200 - AG

NOEL - January Rudolph Days

 

Hi, Friends......

It's already time to launch the January installment of the New Year's worth of Rudolph Days entries over at Scrappy Mo's!  Remember....if you enter EACH month during 2021, you are eligible for the special prize drawing in December!  I don't want to miss out.  [FOMO....(fear of missing out!)...is my middle name!  lol..]

For my entry I upcycled another scrap piece of salvaged gift wrap from the Christmas festivities.  I decoupaged it onto some cardstock and trimmed it to size.  This NOEL print fit perfectly on the slim-line card.  I added a large scrap of gleaming gold striped patterned paper behind it and placed a few of my weird snowflakes on top along with a star and some sequins.  Very simple...quick and easy!  Do you like the turquoise and gold?  I love that combo!

 

Supplies used include:
Salvaged gift wrap
Decoupage medium
DCWV patterned paper
Snowflakes and misc doo-dads from stash

Hope you enjoyed seeing this festive card.  Maybe it gives you ideas on upcycling your gift wrap, too! Have a lovely week!

❤
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Scrappy Mo's January Rudolph Days Challenge
2. Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #526
3. Crafty Hazelnut's January Patterned Paper Challenge
4. Word Art Wednesday - Week #475-#476 - AG
5. Pam's Inky Pinkies Challenge #2104 - Anything Goes
6. CARDZ-TV AG Challenge #132
7. Pixie's Snippets Playground Challenge #395 - Use Snippets

I Love Math Challenge - Christmas Ornament Card

 

Hi, Friends......

I am here with a fancy fold card to share for the I Love Math Challenge.  This challenge only comes around 3 or 4 times a year so I don't want to miss it this time!  The theme is Winter/Christmas with Any Math Theme Goes.  

 

I chose Radial Symmetry as my Math Theme.  I knew immediately that I wanted to use this retired Spellbinders die set that has fun folded features on each of the pieces that can be layered or used alone.  I used a gleaming gold foil holographic-looking piece.  I generally use double-sided paper with this die, but I was surprised how much I liked the plain white backside showing on the folded parts for this ornament.

Here's a photo showing the folded pieces before I layered them.

I attached the layers together with a brad and covered the center with a sparkly bell chipboard embellishment.  

Here's an angled photo so you can see the gleam better.

This ornament fits perfectly on a round card base cut from a standard A2 size.  I attached it with a couple of removable Glue Dots so the ornament can easily be detached and hung up by the gold twine tie.

Supplies used include:
Spellbinders - Carnival Dream die set
Sizzix - Circles, Scallop die set
DCWV patterned paper
Bells and gold twine from stash

I made several others of this same design from double-sided papers, but I decided I liked this gold one best.  What do you think? (NOTE: Click on image to enlarge and see the detail.)

Hope you liked my ornament cards. Thank you so much for stopping by today.  Stay healthy and creative!!

❤
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1.  I Love Math Challenge #18 - Christmas/Winter Math Project
I chose radial symmetry as my Math Element

 

 

 

2. ABC Christmas Challenge - B is for Bells
3. Word Art Wednesday - Week #475-#476 - AG
4. CARDZ-TV AG Challenge #132
5.Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #525
6. Crafty Hazelnut's January Patterned Paper Challenge
7. Double Trouble Challenge #75 - Thing 1: Musical Instrument (Bells)
8. Christmas Craft Creations January Challenge - Ribbon or Twine

Batch Cooking Christmas Cards with MFT Sketch

 

 

 

Hi, Friends.....

This year I am trying whenever possible to enter the MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenges.  My cards are far from masterpieces, but I like the challenge of trying to design a card around a sketch....esp if I can use my scraps!  

This week's sketch is a slim-line card.......and I have TONS of scraps this size from making envelopes from 12x12 pieces of patterned paper.  

 

I was nearly stymied by the partial shapes top and bottom of this sketch.  I wanted a design that wouldn't look too truncated if it went off the page.  I finally hit on doing snowflakes. I jiggled them around a bit instead of putting them in a straight line. I was afraid my design would look too simple and stupid, but I am totally delighted with how they turned out.  I think they are super-cute!!

I was so inspired that I made a bunch of this same design in different colors.  Which is your favorite?

My snowflake cutouts on the cards are actually the "negatives" of the snowflake this die is designed to make.  So as a bonus......I have a whole pile of different colors of beautiful snowflakes to use on other cards!  YAY!!  And as an additional little bonus, the centers make merry little stars....so I saved those, too.  🟌🟌🟌

Supplies used include:
Memory Box - Lindeman Snowflake die (retired)
M&C Boutique - Large Circle Frame die set
Fiskars - XXXL Circle Punch (3" diameter)
Clearly Besotted - Modern Christmas stamp set (retired)
Versafine ink in coordinating colors
DCWV scraps of patterned paper
Solid cardstock scraps from stash

Hope you liked seeing my boatload of cards.  They were a lot of fun to make.  Thank you for stopping by today!  Stay healthy and creative!!

❤
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge #524
2. Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #525
3. CARDZ-TV AG Challenge #132
4. Creative Fingers Challenge #199 - AG
5. Word Art Wednesday Weeks #473-#474 - AG
6. Crafty Hazelnut's January Patterned Paper Challenge

Treat Yourself

 

Hi, Friends.....

I am here with a fun card I made by juggling the current MFT Wednesday Sketch:

I turned the sketch on its side and added a few doodads.  Cute!!!  I used a piece of watercolor background for the panels.  The cupcakes are from the Dollar Store and the adorable buttons are from Karen Ladd.  (THANKS, Karen!)

Supplies used include:
"Treat Yourself" sentiment from Unity but I can't locate it on their site.
Hero Arts Sparkle Clear - Cupcakes stamp set
Heart background from dollar rack
Versafine ink in Crimson Red
Canson -140 lb XL Watercolor Pad
Dollar Store Felt Cupcake Stickers
Buttons and ribbon
DCWV red cardstock

Thank you for stopping by today!  I hope you have a great week. 
Stay healthy and creative!

❤
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge #523
2. Word Art Wednesday Weeks #473-#474 - AG
3. Creative Fingers Challenge #199 - AG
4. Hero Arts Stay Crafty Challenge #19 - Add a Heart
5. Double D 5th Anniversary Cupcakes Challenge

 

 

 

 

Christmas at Tewksbury Mill

 

Hi, Friends.....

I am here with a Christmas card I made with a lovely stamp from my crafty pal, Karen Ladd.  I have used it before (or at least its companion stamp) but it has been quite awhile.  I love these scenes done up in blue and white.  I heat embossed it and put it on one of my "strips-o'-scraps" backgrounds.  

This time I didn't emboss the background.  Sometimes I like it plain....other times dry embossed...and other times even double embossed by heat embossing the "ridges"....and still other times a full on "molten look" where it is completely covered with layers and layers of embossing powder!!!   (Oh, bliss!!!)  But I went very simple here with just the layered background die cut with a stitched rectangle. 

In my continuing attempts to USE MY STASH, I actually made four cards of this design.  I embossed with silver on a couple of them.  I think the detail shows better with the blue-violet embossing powder, but the silver has a cool shimmery effect.  Which do you like better?

Supplies used include:
Art-Kure - Tewksbury Mill stamp
Lawn Fawn - Large Stitched Rectangles die set
Simon Says Stamp - Kelly Purkey  "Cheers" stamp set (retired) 
Versamark Ink
Embossing Powders in Silver and Blue-Violet
Patterned paper scraps from my stash
Winnie & Walter - Essentials: Katharine Cutaways die set - retired
Dollar Store Snowflakes
Silver Sequins

Well......that is four more cards for my 2021 Christmas stash!!  YAY!  I have to get a big jumpstart in January because the rest of the year flies by so fast.  I don't want to be short when I am frantically addressing them the week before Christmas!!!  Bwahahaha!!  [Hey...those of you who didn't get their cards from me until last week....that was because of COVID!!  ;) ]

Thank you so much for stopping by today.  Stay healthy and creative!!

❤
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering these cards in the following challenges:
1. Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #524 - AG Christmas
2. Crafty Hazelnut's January Patterned Paper Challenge
3. Pam's Inky Pinkies Challenge - AG
4. Cut it Up Challenge #216 - Winter
5. Word Art Wednesday Weeks #473-#474 - AG
6. Pixie's Snippets Playground Challenge #394 - Use Snippets
7. Lost Coast Challenge #113 - Something Beginning with B - Blue

 

 

 

 

 

8. Christmas Craft Creations December Challenge - Winter Blues

 

 

Great is Thy Faithfulness

Hi, Friends.....

I am here with a pretty card to share. A friend in a different state has been having some serious health problems. I wanted to make a card for her so I chose this lovely scripture verse stamp and butterflies as the theme for this slim-line card.

I was inspired by the dimension and gentle colors of Michelle's card HERE over on the Hero Arts Stay Crafty December Challenge.  Digging around in my stash, I found these butterflies I had already stamped and heat embossed and the teal foiled leaves and flowers. Teal and blush with gold is perhaps an unexpected color combo, but I really like how this turned out. 

The sentiment and background panels were scraps. The large background piece was a leftover scrap from some simple notecard sets I make from 12x12 cardstock pieces. I have tons of scraps this size and they are spot-on perfect for slim-line cards!! 

 

Supplies used include:
STAMPlorations - Great is Thy Faithfulness - Typografia in Faith
Rubber Stampede - Victorian Butterflies stamp set (retired) (Ebay link)
Versamark Ink
Ranger - Gold Superfine Detail Embossing Powder
Vellum
Lawn Fawn - Large Stitched Rectangles die set
Scrap of DCWV patterned paper for background

Hope you enjoyed my butterfly card.  As you can see I have spring on my mind lately! Thank you everyone for stopping by today. Stay well and safe.

❤
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Mod Squad - Anything Goes
2. CARDZ-TV - AG Challenge #131
3. Word Art Wednesday Weeks #470-472 - AG
4. Crafty Hazelnut's January Patterned Paper Challenge
5. All Sorts Week #605 - AG
6. We Love Chocolate Baroque January Challenge - Feminine
7. Hero Arts December Stay Crafty Challenge #18- Inspired by (I chose the gentle colors and dimension from Michelle's card.)
8. Pam's Inky Pinkies Challenge - AG
9. Lost Coast Challenge #113 - Something Beginning with B - Butterflies

 

 

 

 

10.  STAMPlorations -Anything Goes Challenge - Use STAMPlorations for focal

SaveSaveSave

Spring Butterfly - You are Lovely

 

Hi, Friends......

We've been on Christmas Break from homeschooling our granddaughter, so I was able to make a few cards.  (School starts back up tomorrow, though, so who knows how many I will get blogged!!  lol....)  At least I will get my entry into the MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge for the week.  :)  

Here's this week's sketch:

I must be yearning for warmer weather because I went with an all-out Spring vibe for my card.  My butterfly is a sticker that I mounted on a scrap of cardstock so I could lift the wings.

   

Supplies used include:
Dollar Store Butterfly sticker
Prima and Petaloo flowers
Verve - Sprightly Sprigs die set (retired)
Darice - Interlocking Circles embossing folder (retired)
The Ink Road - Majestic AF stamp set
Versafine ink in Onyx Black
Patterned paper and cardstock scraps

I know it is only January, but does my card give you spring fever?  It does me!!  Thank you so much for stopping by today.  Stay warm and safe, everyone!

❤
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge #522
2. CARDZ-TV - AG Challenge #131
3. Word Art Wednesday Weeks #470-472 - AG
4. Crafty Hazelnut's January Patterned Paper Challenge
5. All Sorts Week #605 - AG

December Card Chain Challenge Reveal

 

Hi, Friends.....

I am here with a quick post to reveal the card I sent to Robyn in Australia for the December Card Chain Challenge.  This is such a fun group......and it's not too late to join in for January.  Sign up HERE, but hurry....you only have a few more days!  (But sign-ups for February will begin soon, so don't despair if you miss January!)

Last month the themes were in a Tic Tac Toe grid:

I went with the middle row:  Torn edges, Friendship, and Blue. 

I die cut some flowers from an old piece of border wallpaper....love the arty look of them against the navy tag.  I did some background stamping on the yellow torn piece and used a friendly sentiment.  I topped it off with a few stray hearts I found floating around on my craft table.  :)

Supplies used include:
Sizzix - Thinlits TH Wildflowers #1 die set
Hero Arts background stamp - Forest Floor Bold Prints - retired
Distress Ink in Vintage Paper
Tag from Winnie & Walter - Essentials: Katharine Cutaways die set - retired
Sentiment from Cardz-TV -  Banners & Bubbles stamp set
Versafine ink in Majestic Blue
Hearts from the Winnie & Walter - Essentials:  Audrey Cutaways die set - retired
Scraps of patterned paper, cardstock, and wallpaper border paper

Thank you for stopping by for a look at my card.  You can join in the Card Chain Challenge, too.  It's fun and easy.  Sign up HERE.  Hope to see you there!!

❤
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. December Card Chain Challenge
2. CARDZ-TV - AG Challenge #131
3. Word Art Wednesday Weeks #470-472 - AG
4. Crafty Hazelnut's January Patterned Paper Challenge
5. All Sorts Week #605 - AG