Love One Another

Hi, Friends......
I am here to share one last card for Darnell's NBUS Challenge #10 challenge. The NBUS-orama set of three challenges ends tomorrow (Sunday, Feb. 5) so you still have a little bit of time to join in using some "Never Before Used Schtuff".



I took Darnell's optional twist on her NBUS challenge by trying out the Bubble Wrap technique. I combined it with a NBUS and new Love From Me Digital Set by the very talented and lovely (and did I mention fellow-Idahoan?) Julee Tilman at Verve Stamps. This is a free download (thru Feb. 15) and she has a challenge for you to enter if you use it, too! Yay!! I don't use digis very often, but I totally LOVE these. THANK YOU, Julee, for sharing this amazing set!

Did you see what I did on this card?.........I tried paper-tearing again!!! I was so emboldened by the look I achieved on THIS CARD, that I gave it another go. What do you think? Does it work for this style of card, also? I think so. (Besides....the bright bubble wrap pattern was only in this section of my glossy paper, so I tore off the boring parts. lol....)

The sentiment is die cut with the solid heart from my Serendipity - Heart Scroll stamp and die set. I used a bright fuchsia Sharpie to color in the heart on the digi and added some Glossy Accents for fun. The background is dry embossed with my Darice - Swirl Background folder. It's quite a simple card, but I think it needed to stay relatively uncluttered to let that bold bubble wrap print background shine. Hope you like it!!!

Stay safe this weekend. The weather has warmed up here to just above freezing and it is raining on top of all our ice. EEEK! Sometime today I need to boot up (and maybe cleat up) and go outside to feed my chickens. I don't relish carrying a bucket of feed out to their pen on this slippery ice!!! It will be walking stick in one hand and bucket in the other! Thanks so much for stopping by.

<3
Janis
Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. NBUS Challenge #10
2. Verve Stamps "Love From Me" Challenge
3. DL.Art February Linky Challenge - Anything Goes
4. CardzTV Challenge #2 - Anything Goes
5. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - The Color of Love

Heartfelt "Hi"

Hi, Friends.....

I am here with another card for the Hug A Heart Drive. This is a card drive especially for Heart Center patients at Nationwide Children’s Hospital during February, which is American Heart Month. You can find out all the card requirements and specifications HERE. They are asking for Heart-Themed, but not specifically Valentine cards which will be given to children hospitalized with serious heart conditions.

Since I still had all my brown (umber) colored butterfly supplies out, I decided to combine the Hug a Heart card challenge with Mrs. A's Butterfly Challenge #71 of Butterfly/ies + U is for Underneath &/or Umber (the color). I used the lattice work heart die from my Serendipity - Heart Scroll stamp and die set that shows the brown butterfly patterned paper "underneath".

I stamped a grab bag Unity stamp with the cheery hearts and "Hi" sentiment in Versafine ink in Vintage Sepia and die cut it with My Favorite Things Die-namics - Stitched Square STAX die set. My background is die cut with the pierced large rectangle from the Winnie & Walter - Essentials: Katharine Cutaways die set. I inked the edges of the panels with Distress Ink and added some kraft photo corners for fun.
 







Here's a shot of another one I made from the same design. Which do you like better? I think I might like the first one a little more.

Thank you for taking a peek at my cards! I love that you come to visit my blog and your sweet comments keep me going. :)

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Mrs. A's Butterfly Challenge #71 - Butterfly + U is for Underneath &/or Umber
2. CardzTV Challenge #2 - Anything Goes
3. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - The Color of Love
4. Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper February Challenge - Use Patterned Paper

Butterfly Field Notes

Hi, Friends.....

I am here to share a nature card with you using a FABULOUS Stamps Happen - Page About Butterflies stamp that my (candidate-for-best-son-in-the world!!!) son found for me. He's really awesome at finding THE most amazing stamps for me at thrift stores.....and this is one of them!!!!  I majored in biology way back in the Dark Ages, and I am still a field biologist at heart. I have a shelf brimming with field guides of all sorts and I consult them often! So, naturally, I was drawn immediately to this beautiful stamp showing a page of butterfly field notes.

This has been in my butterfly box since last year, but it is my first time using it so I am participating in Darnell's NBUS Challenge #10 challenge with this card where you use some "Never Before Used Schtuff".

I also am entering this card in Mrs. A's Butterfly Challenge #71 where the theme this fortnight is Butterfly(ies) + U is for Underneath &/or Umber (the color). I was flummoxed. I thought I knew what color umber was, but I think I was confused with ochre. Internet searches added to my confusion. (I am better off just using the internet for looking at pictures of cats!!!) 

Seems that umber is any number of shades of mineral brown.....from yellowish to quite deep and dark. Thankfully, Mrs. A cleared up my confusion by telling me any shade of brown was acceptable. Whew! Armed with that info, I went to work. For both the Umber and Underneath portions of this challenge, I dry embossed a piece of Core'dinations brown cardstock with a Darice - Wood Grain folder and sanded it to enhance the texture and show the "underneath" color.

I did a lot of distressing with my papers with ink and by tearing. I really love the end result, but I have to tell you this paper tearing business is VERY SCARY!!  (Cuz, I mean, what if I accidentally tear off some important part of the stamped image???!!! EEEK!! You can see that I tore very, very small controlled bits at a time.....which resulted in almost a scalloped edge. lol... Hey, I LOVE to experiment, but I think crafters who use this do-or-die tearing technique live way too dangerously for my personality!! Ha. ) 

Other supplies used include:
Verve - Sprightly Sprigs die set
Distress Inks in various colors
Hero Arts - Pattern Stripes for background
Three Butterfly SOUO thrift store find (stamp of unkn origin) used on background
Prima butterfly (altered with DIs)
Dollar Store Twine

I had a lot of fun making this woodsy-looking nature card. I hope you like it, too!!!  Thank you so much for stopping by.  Your kind comments make my day!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Mrs. A's Butterfly Challenge #71 - Butterfly(ies) + U is for Underneath &/or Umber (the color)
2. NBUS Challenge #10
3. Cuttlebug Mania - Hobby (I love identifying the wide variety of flora and fauna that I find in our area.)
4. HeARTful Stamping Challenge (Jan. 29 - Feb.5) - Anything Goes + Rubber Stamp
5. DL.Art February Linky Challenge - Anything Goes

Cup of Love

Hi, Friends.....

I am here with a sweet card that can be used as valentine or as an all-occasion card for someone close to your heart.
I was inspired by the colors on the MarkerPOP Challenge palette and the pretty bowl of hearts on the photo. They ask you to use a coloring medium that they sell.....I used Distress Markers and Inks....and to use at least 3 of the colors plus a neutral of our choice.


You might already know how I love to use my long strips of patterned paper scraps to make backgrounds. Well, I happened to have one of them on hand in these colors!! Yay!! I teamed it up with a Unity - Java Friend mug image (stamped with Versafine ink in Smokey Gray) that I colored in matching hues with my Distress Markers (Picked Raspberry, Spun Sugar, and Worn Lipstick) and added a layer of sparkle with my Wink of Stella pen. I sponged around on the focal panel with Distress Ink in Milled Lavender.

I cut the panels with My Favorite Things Die-namics - Stitched Oval STAX die set and Lawn Fawn - Large Stitched Rectangles die set. To finish things off, I added some dollar store foam hearts (Can you tell that two of them are foil and one is matte?) and some pretty sequins.

Even though I am a very novice colorist, I enjoy trying out these MarkerPOP coloring challenges. I love the soft colors of this particular palette and rather like how my card turned out. Hope you like it, too! Thank you for stopping in and for leaving your encouraging and helpful comments!!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. MarkerPOP Color Challenge #13
2. Cut It Up Challenge #114 - Hot Drink
3. Die Cut Divas February Challenge - Use Red or Pink
4. Crop Stop January Linky Party #24 - Anything Goes use prod CS sells
(I used Distress Ink and MFT craft dies.)
5. DL.Art Thankful Thursday #197 - Anything Goes
6. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - The Color of Love
7. Crafting When We Can Challenge #136 - Spots &/or Stripes
8. HeARTful Stamping Challenge (Jan. 29 - Feb.5) - Anything Goes + Rubber Stamp
9. DL.Art February Linky Challenge - Anything Goes
10. Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper February Challenge - Use Patterned Paper

You're Kinda Pawesome

Hi, Friends.....

I am back with a colorful card I made especially for a special cause and for a fun challenge.

First off is the Hug A Heart Drive that I heard about on the lovely Donna Ellis' blog post HERE. This is a card drive especially for Heart Center patients at Nationwide Children’s Hospital during February, which is American Heart Month. You can find out all the card requirements and specifications HERE. They are asking for Heart-Themed, but NOT Valentine cards which will be given to children hospitalized with serious heart conditions. 

The drive runs from Jan. 16 - Feb. 14 and there will be a big blog hop tomorrow on Feb. 1 to help raise awareness. You can find out more details about the hop and about the drive at Christina Hor's blog.
[On a personal note, this is a near and dear cause to me because a number of years ago my sister-in-law, Andrea, while still a young woman, was felled by a serious heart condition as she awaited a heart transplant. Thank you so much for your participation!!]

Secondly, I am participating in Darnell's NBUS Challenge #10, her third of three NBUS challenges this month. You DON'T want to miss out on this one because Darnell has come up with the most ingenious background technique using BUBBLE WRAP!!! I know.....crazy, right? Well, you won't think so when you see her totally awesome creations with it. WOW doesn't begin to describe them!!! Hop right on over there now and take a look!!! I will wait for you.... :)

Of course, for Darnell's challenges you always are asked to use something from your NBUS (Never Before Used Schtuff) but this time she added that extra theme. Using Bubble Wrap or some such similar material is a completely optional twist, but I took the challenge and stayed up almost all night the other night making a huge pile of backgrounds on glossy photo paper!!! Yes, I know....CRAZY! None of mine look as fabulous as Darnell's, but I loved the process and the colorful results!!!

I used NBUS Distress Ink reinkers instead of the alcohol inks that Darnell used. My images and sentiment are from My Favorite Things - Cat-itude stamp set and cut with My Favorite Die-namics - Cat-itude die set. I stamped them onto scraps of white cardstock with Versafine ink in Onyx Black and colored them with Distress Ink markers scribbled onto an acrylic block and applied with my waterbrush. I think the simple whimsical drawings are perfect for the Hug a Heart card drive. The bright pink paper is from my scrap bag and die cut with the solid heart die from my Serendipity - Heart Scroll stamp and die set. I used a white gel pen to add the stitching detail.

Hope you enjoyed seeing my attempt at the Bubble Wrap background technique and I hope you will join me over at NBUS Challenge #10 and in supporting the Hug A Heart Card Drive!!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. NBUS Challenge #10
2. Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Pets Corner
3. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
4. SUYP - Cats Only Challenge #14 - Furrything Goes
5. DL.Art Thankful Thursday #197 - Anything Goes

Embossed Christmas Tree

This is a photo I found, but it reminds me of our Mistoffelees in the snow.  With his thick wooly fur, he is completely oblivious to the snowflakes adorning his black fluffy coat.

Hi, Friends........

I'm here with a Christmas card to put in my stash for next holiday season. This is one that I had been wanting to make for quite some time. I had the embossed tree, the embossed red piece, and the text papers all together in a bag to put together, and finally snagged the opportunity. Yay! I love how it turned out!!



Supplies used include:
Darice - Christmas Tree embossing folder
Darice - Diagonal Stripe Background embossing folder
Text paper from Echo Park
Sparkle white embossing powder
Versamark ink
Distress Ink in Walnut Stain (inked edges of panels and gently sponged over tree to tone down the bright white)
Black rhinestones from my crafty friend Karen Ladd <3

I kept it sentiment-free to follow the optional twist over at Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Card Challenge. Previously, I hadn't paid too much attention to Christmas card challenges during the off-season. This year, however, I am enjoying making holiday cards that I didn't get a chance to finish during the hectic time before Christmas.

Hope you enjoyed this fun and simple card! Thank you for stopping by!!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #318 - Anything Goes Christmas w/ opt twist of No Sentiment
2. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
3. Allsorts Week #400 - Let's Celebrate
4. HIMCR #286 - Any Holiday
5. DL.Art January Linky Challenge
6. Crop Stop January Linky Party #24 - Anything Goes use prod CS sells
(I used Distress Ink and Darice embossing folders.)
7. DL.Art Thankful Thursday #197 - Anything Goes
8. Little Scrap Pieces - Show it Off Saturday Linky Party
9. Fussy and Fancy Challenge #179 - Angels/Fairies or Winter

Urban Grunge with Washi Tape

Hi, Friends.....

I am here to share a couple cards that I made inspired by the Washi Tape challenge over at The Male Room. I don't use my washi nearly often enough so this was a good opportunity to play with it.

I also am entering this over at Diane and Darlene's Double D Challenges. They are in the second half of their month-long 1st Blogoversary celebration and the mood board theme this time is Black and White only.  Such a fun challenge for me because I rarely use just B/W.


Additionally, it's the second week (out of three) of Darnell's NBUS-orama!! If you missed last week, don't worry! There's still lots of time to play! This week is Darnell's NBUS #9. In addition to asking us to use some NBUS (Never Before Used Schtuff), she has a couple of optional themes this time of CASEing someone's card you have seen around blogland or doing a Hidden Sentiment. You must go see her lovely card.....and the lovely prizes!! :) 

For my card, I pulled out several rolls of washi in black and white and went to work making a criss-cross pattern on black cardstock. I was envisioning a plaid look when I began, but what developed had an unexpected but definite urban feel. So......(after abruptly changing my original design plan).....I ran with it. :)

I pulled out my totally awesome NBUS A Creative Journey with Melissa - Awareness Ribbon Set #1 (THANKS, Melissa!!) and stamped out a bunch of the inspirational words with Versafine ink in Onyx Black on strips of white cardstock from my scrap bag. :) Since I was going for an urban grunge look, I just tore them apart instead of cutting and smudged them up with Distress Ink in Black Soot before attaching them to my washi background.

I had so much fun doing the washi background that I made a second one and attached the words in a vertical configuration. I put the Faith, Hope, Love together....as a reminder of 1 Corinthians 13:13.

Which format do you like better? I really like how they both turned out, but I think I like the upright one a little more than the other. I love how on both cards some of the washi strips are translucent and show the pattern of the tape that is beneath them.

Hope you enjoyed my card. Thank you for stopping by and leaving your wonderful comments!!! I hope you have a great day and are getting ready for a relaxing and crafty weekend.

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering these cards in the following challenges:
1.The Male Room Challenge #52 - Washi Tape
2. Darnell's NBUS #9
3. Double D Challenges - Black and White
4. Simon Says Stamp Work-it-Wednesday Challenge - Use Something New
5. Crop Stop January Linky Party #24 - Anything Goes use prod CS sells
(I used Distress Ink.)