Happy (Neutral) Birthday

Today I kick off a month of guest designing for the Heart2Heart challenge blog.  As a former Close to my Heart consultant (and a current fabulous customer), this is one of my favorite blogs from which to glean creative inspiration.  What an honor to be chosen as a guest designer, and how fun that it comes during my birthday month.  (I am currently $49.95; the tax is getting added in about a week.)

For this week's "Neutral" challenge, I wanted to see just how many neutral colors I could get on one card overwhelming it.  Here's what I came up with:

Although I like the card, I think I'm proudest that everything on it except the mini clip is current.  Given my stash of retired stuff, that's quite an accomplishment. 

The stamp is from Jeanette's Archives and is called Birthday Cheer.  I embossed it with white powder onto vellum.  On the back side of the vellum I used a watercolor brush and ink smushed into lids to color. 

• Stars and candle flames: Champagne
• Cake: Chocolate (of course!!)
• Background (upper half): Cocoa
• Background (lower half): Desert Sand
• Corners: Saddle
• Paper behind vellum: Whisper
• "2" and "U": Cashmere pigment ink embossed with clear powder; stamp set Keyboard Uppercase; the "U" is attached to the "2" with a small dot of Liquid Glass
• Baker's Twine: Neutral Assortment

I'd say that's an impressive number of neutrals!

Until next time,
Becca

NOEL

This week over at Heart2Heart, the challenge is to use two different alphabets/fonts.  I completely stamplifted this card using the Artiste and Art Philosophy fonts with a cork "N" thrown in for good measure:

 
Now, when I say I completely stamplifted this, I mean I COMPLETELY stamplifted it.  Here's the original.  Don't you just love it when fabulously creative people use stamps so similar to the ones you own that you can CASE (Copy And Steal Everything)?

Stamp set: Remarkable Wreath
Ink: Chocolate and Cranberry
Paper: Kraft and Bamboo
Accessories: Satin ribbon and button

I am thrilled to have been chosen the Top Chick of the Month over at the Heart2Heart blog.  I may not be a demonstrator for CTMH, but I love their products (and my consultant loves me)!!

Until next time,
Becca

Defiant Fall

It's still 90 degrees here in Oklahoma...not very "Fall-ish", but I'm defying the weather and pulling out pumpkins anyway.  And Fall colors for this week's Color Dare are helping, too.

I am also linking this up to CAS-ual Fridays Challenge: Fall Colors + at least one leaf and Inspired By: #89,

The Olive background (chicken wire) stamp is from Distressed Backgrounds set.  The border along the top and bottom of the chicken wire is hand-drawn using a coordinating Olive marking pen.  To create my leaves, I used the stamp set One Way Borders. 

Here's a photo of the bottom leaf pattern created by stamping the triangle border in Autumn Terracotta in one direction, then turning the stamp around and stamping it again in the negative spaces with Goldrush.

I could have cut the leaf shapes from Art Philosophy, but I just got back from another "crafting away from home" session, so my Cricut wasn't set up.  Instead, I created the pattern, stamped the leaf from the coordinating Art Philosophy stamp set on the back side, then hand cut it.  To give the finished leaves a little more definition, I sponged Autumn Terracotta around the edges.

The sentiment is from one of the other Art Philosophy stamp sets.  I stamped it in Goldrush then "rolled" it in Autumn Terracotta just along the bottom.

The jute and buttons were affixed with Liquid Glass (I love that stuff...simply love it).  This card is a little thick for the mail, so I'll hand deliver it to my sister-in-law when I see her a couple weeks after her actual birthday.

The weather is supposed to drop as of tomorrow...only 85 degrees.  For this born and bred native Washingtonian, that's just too darn hot for Fall.  Maybe I'll turn my air-conditioner down to 65 and light a fire.

Until next time,
Becca

JOY

Nothing like waiting until the last minute, right?

I made this card last weekend at my scrapbooking retreat and am just now getting around to posting it barely in time to enter it in this week's Less is More challenge.

Here are the supplies (CTMH in italics)

• Stamps: Vintage Type (retired)
• Ink: Ruby, Topiary, and Momento Tuxedo Black
• Accessories: Liquid Glass (over letters), Black Shimmer tape, Tim Holtz Crinkle Ribbon, and white embroidery floss

I actually have a piece of black cardstock cut to 4"x1" and affixed the shimmer tape to the top and bottom edges.  The ribbon covered up the middle where the tape didn't meet (no use wasting supplies).

The ribbon was colored by running the Ruby and Topiary ink pads over the Crinkle Ribbon in sections, flicking a little water over the ribbon to get the colors to bleed, and pressing it between paper towels to dry.

Now, to give credit where it's due, this card was completely stamplifted from Kim Richardson's blog.  I like hers better!

Though this might be "last minute" for the Less is More challenge, I am filling up my stash for this year's Christmas Cards.  I really should be disciplined and do one a week, but...yeah.  My level of discipline only stretches so far.

Until next time,
Becca

Noteworthy Hello

I'm away at a scrapbooking weekend trying to finish up my daughter's wedding album.  They celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary two months ago so I'm just a wee bit behind.  At some point my eyes started to blur on the photos and I decided to take a break to make a card.  This goes with OWH's Sunday Sketch:

Because I'm working with limited supplies, I actually managed to stick with only two stamp sets.  Here's the supply list (all CTMH unless otherwise noted):

• Stamps:  All the Details and Geometric Backgrounds 
• Paper: Cranberry and Ultra White
• Ink: Cranberry, Whisper, Slate and (Momento) Tuxedo Black

If I were at home, I would have seen if some white sequins added a nice touch, but here I decided to leave well enough alone.

Hey...I just realized this can be linked to this week's Color Dare, too, since the challenge is Slate and Whisper plus one other color of your choice (Cranberry) and Black would be an added neutral.

Time to get back to wedding pictures.

Until next time,
Becca

A little "wine" with your Slate and Whisper

This week's Color My Heart challenge is to use Slate and Whisper plus any other color of your choice.  I pulled out Ruby and, after seeing this tutorial during Stamp-A-Faire, came up with this wine bottle tag:

And here's a close up of my salted flower:



I didn't have any Elmer's Glue sitting on my desk, so I used Liquid Glass (aka, Glossy Accents or Crystal Effects).  I also didn't have regular salt, so I used the Kosher kind.  I varied how much I watered down my Ruby re-inker as I dotted it onto the salt, and it really came out great.

The stamps are CTMH Unscripted (retired, flower), Art Philosophy Coordinating Stamps (current, sentiment) and Geometric Backgrounds (current, border).  I stamped the geometric border in second generation Whisper.  Even though it's the lighter of the two grays, it was still too strong for what I wanted.  The stem and leaf are in Slate, and the flower is in third generation Ruby.  As the tutorial mentions, this technique could be done without an actual image, but I wasn't that brave.  At least not the first time trying it.  I'd do it now.

The sentiment is in first, second, and third generation stamping.  I inked it up, stamped it off, inked it again two-thirds to half way up, stamped it off again, and then a third inking just along the bottom.  It's a quick way to get an ombre effect.

Although this is a really clever technique, I don't think it would mail very well.  Thus the tag (cut using Art Philosophy and mounted to a coordinating Dimensional Element).  Now I'm just waiting for an occasion to give it away.

Until next time,
Becca

CAS(E) this Sketch Guest Designer

About a week ago, I won the CAS(E) this Sketch challenge with this card.  That means I get to be the guest designer for this week's sketch (and, more importantly, got to see the sketch in advance).  Yeee!!!

That half-circle shape just screamed doily to me, so I found a retired sentiment from Stampin' Up! that matched the length, embossed it in white, and sewed the trimmed doily underneath.  Very simple, yet I really like how it turned out.

I also chose the sentiment because it will go in my stash of cards for Operation Write Home.  If you've not heard of this organization, they collect hand-made cards and send to deployed soldiers.  The soldiers can then write letters home to their friends and family.  As you can imagine, "I miss you" cards are always needed.  With both my husband and son in the Army, it's a cause that is near and dear to my heart.  If you'd like to get involved, please be sure to read the guidelines so we keep our heroes safe.

Can't wait to see what you all come up with this week.

Until next time,
Becca

Plum Crazy for You

According to a magazine I get, two of the hot trends for Fall are "conflicting statements" and lace.  And apparently purple is hot, too.  So...here's my "trendy" card for Dynamic Duos: Plum plus Your Choice:

The delicate lace and modern "potty people" (CTMH Sightseer) are my "conflicting statement", then there's the lace itself, and finally Smokey Plum paper and pigment ink (CTMH) embossed in clear and a Cotton Candy punched heart (paper CTMH, punch ?) smeared with Glitter Gel (Studio G) and sealed with Liquid Glass (CTMH).  As this is going in my stash for Operation Write Home, I couldn't have any glitter that would flake off.  The word border is from a retired CTMH set called Soul Mates.

I feel so fashionable.  Now, if I could just do something about my wardrobe.  Sigh...

Until next time,
Becca

Seriously Love You

Quick post today.  I started out thinking I was going to do something for the OWH Virtual Card Making Party and it sortof morphed.  Okay...not sortof, totally morphed, which made it useless for OWH.  Anyway, I used this week's Color My Heart challenge with Sky, Sweet Leaf, and Buttercup.

The stamp set is from the Home Décor set.  I have a Christmas gift planned with the rest of the set, but the stamps are just too cute to keep tucked away.  The B&T is old CTMH.  The hearts were punched, smeared with glitter gel, then topped with Liquid Glass to keep the glitter from flaking.

Told you this was quick!

Until next time,
Becca