This Week's Oriental Card

"When the tea is brought at five o'clock

And all the neat curtains are drawn with care, 

The little black cat with bright green eyes

Is suddenly purring there."  

            -------Harold Monro

Hi, Friends.....

Just a quick post for the MFP Oriental Sketch Challenge this week.

Here's the assigned sketch, which I flipped:

    
For my card,  I went with some gentle colors and a simple stamped butterfly that looked Oriental-ish to me.  Can't wait for my MFP stamps to get shipped so I can use some real Oriental images for these challenges!!! 

Supplies I used:  various DCWV papers and cardstock, Coredinations cardstock, Staz-On black ink, thrift store stamp.

Thanks for stopping by.  :)  Shortest post ever!  Ha.

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenge:
1.  MFP Speedy TV Oriental Sketch Challenge #42 

Color Contrast with Black - Pot of Flowers

"There has never been a cat 

Who couldn't calm me down

By walking slowly 

Past my chair."

----Rod McKuen

Hi, Friends......

I couldn't let this MFP Speedy Fox and Friends Challenge with the charming theme of Flower Pots go by without scrabbling together a card for it.  There are quite a few entries this time, which is very exciting!!  However, I might not make it all the way around to comment on each one, which I like to try to do on the MFP challenges I enter.

This card was fun because I got to use several items that were new to me.  This was inspired by the loveable and wacky woman Darnell Knauss with her NBUS Challenge (Never Before Used Schtuff)!!!  lol....  The theme for her challenge is Friendship and I think a pot of flowers is an ideal friendship gift.  The virginal product I used for this card was from the GCD Studios Kathy Davis Happiness stack.  Eeek...you can see by the date of its release that I have had it sitting idle for much too long!!!  

Long story about my watercolor paper:

I also made use of some pretty (I think, at least) watercolor background paper that I made from some of my more epic fails in a recent MFP Cling Wrap Tutorial Time Challenge.  Ha.  I must have been adding too much ink or something because my glossy paper was dark and not at all attractive....not even for making a masculine type card for a guy who doesn't care about prettiness!  

Then I had a brilliant (for me) flash.....I wonder what would happen if I added water to these dark blotchy blobs on my precious (did I mention expensive?) glossy photo paper....and laid them down wet on watercolor paper???????  It worked!!!  I was able to repurpose these ugly things, that were headed eventually to the trash, into a million (or at least 6) pieces of lovely pastel hued watercolor paper to use on my cards.  I LOVE THEM!!  And....the beautiful bonus was this:  now that a bunch of the ink is removed, they aren't as homely as they were and I might be able to use some of them, too.   

So that is the "background" story on my paper.  This is my very first time in using any of them.  I hope that qualifies as something new for the DRS Designs Challenge with the theme of It's New.

I also followed a sketch for this card from Sketch Saturday.  I LOVE the crisp clean lines in this sketch and knew it would perfectly highlight the contrasts of color and black I planned for my card. 






Other supplies I used include:  some older Stampin' Up thrift store stamps (pot, stems, two different flowers), Staz-On black ink pad, K&Co. paper, Coredinations black cardstock, and stick-on rhinestones from dollar rack at JoAnns. 

Thanks so much for stopping in to visit and to enjoy the pot of flowers friendship gift.  Love, love, love you and your comments!!!!  I have my eye out (not literally) for my next new follower and have my ginormous smile ready!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1.  MFP Speedy Fox and Friends Challenge #217 - Flower Pots
2.  Sketch Saturday - Week 315 
3.  DJKardKreations NBUS Challenge #1 - Friendship
4.  DRS Designs Challenge #128 - It's New
5.  The Sailing Pineapple Challenge #8 - Repurpose It  

Here's my Best Shot - Vintage Photo Challenge

"I gave my cat a bath the other day....they love it.  He sat there, he enjoyed it, it was fun for me.  The fur would stick to my tongue, but other than that...."
                                                                     -------Steve Martin

Hi, Friends.....

Well, I took the plunge and gave the MFP Tutorial Time Vintage Photo Challenge a try.  I wasn't at all sure I had any old photos I wanted to sacrifice for a card.....or that would even be suitable....but I found this one which appears to be a racetrack with horses walking around the course.  Who knows what in the world it really is?????     

This little gem was loose and unlabeled in an old family album with other photos dated from the 1910s-1920s, so I am guessing it is roughly of that vintage.  It was probably taken in or near Salem, Oregon.  Did they have a horse race track back then?  I don't really know....they didn't have much of anything else, yet.  Regardless, I decided to go with a sporty horserace theme and grabbed out my Graphic 45 Good Ol' Sport pad I won from them.  (Thanks, G45!!!)
 

I also followed this Feeling Sketchy Challenge plan.  It was just simple enough to not overwhelm my photo with too many fussy details.


The only details I added were some black photo corners and some thrift store ribbon and seam binding that I layered together.  My little sentiment, stamped and embossed in black, is from a discontinued Amy Tangerine Draft set.  It seemed to fit in with my theme.  

So what to do with a card like this???  (If it doesn't have flowers on it, I am kind of at a loss!!!  Ha.)  It is definitely masculine, so I might stamp Happy Birthday inside this card and send it to my Dad who will 91 next month....not sure yet.   

Thanks for stopping by and always leaving such nice comments on my challenge attempts!!  Your visits and comments mean a lot to me.  

Also............I have a NEW FOLLOWER!!!!!!!!!  So get ready for one of my ginormous new-follower smiles.  This smile is for you, Joyce Evans Erb.  Thanks so much for becoming a follower!!!

:)))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Have a lovely day!!!

<3

Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:

1.  MFP Speedy TV Tutorial Time Challenge #106 - Use a Vintage Photo 

2.  Feeling Sketchy Challenge - Card Sketch #93
3.  Cardz 4 Guys Challenge #24 - Sport  

4.  QKR Stampede Challenge #93 - Sports 
5.  Country View Challenges - June Challenge - Men Only (must be a masculine card)

Thinking of You - Summer Field of Flowers

"No matter how much cats fight, there always seem to be plenty of kittens."
                                                                  --------Abraham Lincoln

Hi, Friends......

I am back with a card I made that was inspired by three different challenges:

1.  MFP Speedy TV - Inspirational Challenge #68 Doors with this as one of their wonderful inspiration photos.  I love that vine of flowers around that brightly painted door!!!

2.  The Color Me Scrappy Challenge with this amazingly gorgeous color palette and a twist of using floral patterned paper.  Love this color combo and the photo of the field of poppies!!!

3.  The TechnoScrapper Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge with this inspired sketch.  Love the row of 3 flowers!!

Put them all together and what's that look like?

Supplies I used include:  DCWV cardstock from The Sweet Blossom stack, Coredinations cardstock, Prima flowers, May Arts Ribbon (vine), Serendipity Thinking of You small sentiment stamp which was part of a prize (THANKS, Serendipity!!), Want2Scrap self-adhesive pearls, and thrift store ribbon (cream).

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog.  Your comments make my day!!!

<3 
Janis


Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:  
1.  MFP Speedy TV Inspirational Challenge #68 - Doors 
2.  Technostamper Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge #330 
3.  Color Me Scrappy Challenge #64 - Colors + Use Floral Patterned Paper  
4.  Our Creative Corner Challenge - Flaming June  
5.  Whoopsi Daisy Challenge - Summer is Here  

YOU Did Awesome! - CAS Card

"The cat could very well be man's best friend but would never stoop to admitting it."
                                                               -------Doug Larson

Hi, Friends...........

I am here with another challenge card for the MFP Simple Salutations Challenge with a graduation theme.  I had this CAS design in mind and am pleased with how it turned out.

I used a leftover K&Co. graduation sticker for the cap, trimming it as close to the design as possible and inking with a black sharpie around the edges.

The stamp was a clearance rack item at JoAnn's some time back.  I colored the y-o-u with a Spectrum Noir marker.  I free-hand (eek!) traced the path of the tossed cap with a black Sakura Glaze pen.  I mounted the card front onto a black card.  EASY!  

Wow....CAS cards are sure a lot faster than my usual layered numbers!!!  I could get used to that!!  Ha. 

Thanks for stopping by my blog to have a look see.  I appreciate your comments and also each of my followers!!!     

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:                         
1.   MFP Speedy TV Simple Salutations Challenge #102 
2.   CAS-ology Challenge Week 100 - Celebrate 
3.   Chocolate, Coffee, and Cards Challenge #67 - Black, White + 1 other Color 
4.   Crafty Sentiments - CAS or Full-On  Still forgot to add #3 onto my entry for being a follower.
5.   Stamping with the Dragon June Challenge - CAS 

Flying By to Say Hi

"If cats could talk, they would lie to you."
                             -------Rob Kopack

Hi, Friends.....

I am back with another MFP Sketch With a Twist challenge card.  This week's twist was Travel and I did my own little twist on that theme, choosing to go with a little bee traveling to the recipient instead of a bon voyage sort of card where the recipient is the one who will be traveling.

I used my Lawn Fawn - Into the Woods set for the tree.  The stamp is not this long, so I overlapped the ends and hid the "seams" with my signs.  :)  The line of hearts is also from this set.

I opened up, for the first time, my TAWS - Speak Easy set that I won awhile back (THANKS, TAWS!!) and did a wee bit of stamp surgery.  The Flying by to Say Hi had been all in one long segment.  I cut it in two for making this card.  I could have masked, but this was easier.  I like easier!!!  :)  The little bee is one I've had for ages.....part of a set, but I have long forgotten which one.

I heat embossed the tree in Clear Bark and the other images in black.  I colored my sweet little bee and traced her flight path with Sakura Gel Pens, including a sparkly one over white for the wings.  :)

Here's the sketch I used from this week's MFP Sketch With a Twist.

Hope you like my card.  I think it turned out really cute....and did you notice I am *still* using my yellow scraps???  :)  Thank you for buzzing by my blog and leaving your sweet as honey comments!! 

 

Oh, and I nearly forgot.........

My Crocus Card (one of my personal favorites) was honored by Eclectic Ellapu (what even is an ellapu???) as a Runner Up in their Spring Challenge.  I am thrilled because I really love this card.  



Eclectic Ellapu has some really fun Runner Up Badges, so it was difficult to choose which one I wanted.  But I finally decided on this one:

Isn't it pretty?  Love it.  THANKS, Eclectic Ellapu!!!

Have a lovely day, everyone!

<3
Janis


Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1.  MFP Sketch With a Twist #103 - Travel 
2.  Simply Create Too Challenge #64 - Your Sentiment is Highlight 
3.  Delightful Sketches Challenge - Hello Friend 
4.  Seemacrafts June Challenge - Make it Cute 
5.  Handmade Harbour Challenges - CAS 

When I Count My Blessings -- My First Side-Stepped Card

"Cats are intended to teach us that not everything in nature has a purpose."
                                                         ---Garrison Keillor

Hi, Friends.....

Ooooooh...feel that stre-e-e-e-e-e-e-etch......!  

This challenge card really stretched me!!  But it was fun and I am so glad I gave it a try!!!  This is for the MFP Friends of Speedy TV Side Stepped Card challenge.  I have never made one before and wasn't at all sure I was up to it......I nearly wasn't, but I was nearly up all night making a go of it!!!!!  Eeeeek!  

I knew I wanted to use this "When I count my blessings, I think of you" (a thrift store find!) stamped and embossed in red, but from there on out I was winging it....like the robin.  (Little pun, there........very little....)

Photographing this was almost as challenging as making it!  Eeek!

 Thanks to the terrific design team who made sample cards for this intriguing challenge, I was directed to a wonderful tutorial for making this fun fold card.  It still took me a little bit of playing around to get the dimensions just right to fit my stamps, but I managed....eventually!

My big flower image is from a couple of sets I won from Denami Designs:  Summer Flowers and Summer Flower Leaves.  (THANKS, Denami!!!).  The grass and the robin are from an ancient Rubber Stampede set called The Country Garden.....also a thrift store find my son discovered and snagged for me.  I stamped them each with Staz-On black and then watercolored them.  Lastly, I added some sparkly blossoms to each of my layers of grass with sequins.  Seeing little flowers blooming in grass makes me extremely happy! :)

Did you recognize these leftovers?  Oh, yes!  The sky is from some bits from my recent castle card and so is the yellow.  Love it when I can use my scraps on the next card.  I still have 2 small pieces and 1 medium-sized piece of that yellow, so expect it in the near future again!  :)

Well, there you have my very first side-stepped card....(blushes with pride.)  I really am pleased with how it turned out, so I will appreciate all manner of kind words of affirmation for the heroic hours of effort I expended in making it!!!  Ha.

Thanks for your visit!  I seriously do appreciate each of you and count YOU as a blessing!!!

<3
Janis  



Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1.  MFP Speedy TV Challenge #129 - Side-Step Card 
2.  The House that Stamps Built Challenge DCC618 - Shaped or Fun Fold Cards 
3.  Eureka Stamps Challenge #94 - Friends
4.  Lexi's Creations Challenge #118 - For a Friend
5.  Through the Purple Haze Challenge #46 Anything Goes with Stamping