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Please click HERE to join in "Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday" challenge.


Please click HERE to join in "I Spy With My Little Eye" challenge.


Sep 29, 2018

Allsorts 487: Autumn Glory

It's Saturday again and time for a new theme at Allsorts challenge. Brenda is hosting this week and fitting for this time of the year our theme is Autumn Glory. Fall has definitely arrived here in Illinois and I couldn't resist turning on the heat for the first time this season a couple of days ago.


I don't know why, but I always associate foxes with this time of the year, so I decided to stamp a scene using a fox from the Penny Black set Smile All Day as the focal point. He's been stamped and heat embossed on Bristol Vellum paper then watercolored using my Zig Clean Color  markers. I already had a fox mask cut out from a sticky note (from a previous project) and placed it over the fox before adding more stamping and inking to the card.

For my next step I inked up the stamp Blossom Branch by Penny Black using Distress Markers, spritzed with water and stamped over the masked fox using the stamp platform. I got too much water this time than I wanted to, but really didn't feel like wasting the whole card because of it. A little bit of stencilling was added to mimic sun rays and some lines on the bottom portion, using Tim Holtz's Rays Stencil  and Echo Park  Glamour Stripes Stencil. I thought this card would make a great Fall birthday card, so I used a sentiment from the Penny Black set Sprinkles and Smiles. The edges were distressed and inked with Rusty Hinge ink, framed with white card stock and then a rust colored stampin up card base. 

A close up below...I realize some purple ink got onto the fox's ear and present, but as my husband is always telling me, art is not about everything being perfect, so I am learning to embrace the little mistakes that happen. Not easy when you tend to be a perfectionist....

Our prize this week at Allsorts challenge comes from Lost Coast Designs, I hope you'll come join us for a chance to win!

I am also sharing my card with these fabulous challenges:
Always Fun Challenges -Anything Goes this week
Cards in Envy - Feels Like Fall
Cutie Pie Challenge - Shades of Autumn
Double Trouble - 3 Colors and an Image
Make My Monday - Autumn Colors
Fab 'n' Funky -  All Creatures Great and Small 
The Male Room -  The Great Outdoors
Mod Squad Challengeuse Autumn Colors
Paper Shelter Challenge - Colors of Fall
Simon Says Wednesday - Anything Goes
Sisterhood of Crafters - Fall is in the Air
4 Crafty Chicks - Happy Fall Y'all
C.R.A.F.T. - Autumn/Weather
Cute Card Thursday kly - Autumn
Crafty Friends Challenge - choose colors from palette:


Thank you so much for stopping by today, hope you're having a nice and sunny weekend! It's a busy day for us today, but tomorrow we're planning on spending the day at a fine art fair and I look forward to that event every September!


Below I have linked to products I used as found on Amazon, for those of you interested. Please note, these are affiliate links, meaning I might earn a small commision if you purchase something through the links (at no additional cost to you). 

Sep 26, 2018

Always and Forever

This week my husband and I celebrated our 20th Anniversary and I made this cute card for him :-) I just love these Penny Black bunnies and thought it was the perfect image to use.


 //Whimsy Stamps Mini Chalkboard Greetings (no longer available)



A really quick card to make..... a hand cut mask was used to ink up the hill with Shabby Shutters distress ink. The image from the Penny Black set Woodland Friends was stamped onto the hill and a second time stamped and heat embossed on a scrap piece of Bristol Vellum paper. I colored with Zig Clean Color Markers and I fussy cut the bunnies using my Cutterbee scissors. The sentiment is from Whimsy Stamps (mini chalkboards) but unfortunately no longer available. It has also been heat embossed using Versafine Onyx ink and clear embossing powder. The cute circle heart frame was done with an Avery Elle die. A little bit of wink of stella  glitter was brushed over parts of the image. For the card base I used Neenah Linen textured cardstock. 


Above is a close up of the cute image. Aren't the bunnies adorable!!!!

And that would be it for today, thanks so much for visiting! I hope you enjoy the rest of the week!! It's been much cooler here today after a somewhat stormy day yesterday. I really wanted to turn on the heater...


I am sharing my card here:
Stamping Sensations -  Something beginning with "B" (Bunnies)
Double Trouble - 3 Colors and an Image (gray, red and green)
Sunny Day Crafting - Animals 
Brown Sugar - All Creatures Great and Small
Crafting with Dragonflies - Cards Only 
Crafty Catz - Anything Goes 
Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Anything Goes 
Crafty Creations  Always Anything Goes 
House That Stamps Built  - Anything Goes
Sweet Stampin - Dies and Punches
Fab 'n' Funky - All Creatures Great And Small
Creatalicious Challenges Anything Goes + Option: Circles
Always Fun Challenges  - Anything Goes 
Simon Says Wednesday - Anything Goes




Below are some of the products linked to Amazon for those of you interrested. Please note they are affiliated links meaning I might earn a small commision if you purchase something through the links, at no additional cost to you. 

Sep 24, 2018

Monochromatic Fall Card

I'm sure most of my blog readers know by now that I recently subscribed to the Hero Arts My Monthly Hero Kit.  Today I am pairing the kit with some old and retired stamps.. I love to mix old and new products!


                    Ranger Ink Applicator Kit // May Arts Jute Twine // Neenah Card Stock 
       (Retired Products: Whimsy Stamps Background and Borders, Stampin Up Looks Like Spring)


I created an inky background withTea Dye distress ink (wiped and patted the card stock over an ink puddle on my craft mat). Then I stamped the small branch (part of the Hero Arts MMH September Kit),  argyle type stamp (retired from Stampin Up) and the script stamp (retired from Whimsy Stamps) onto the inked background. The maple leaf branch was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Ink on white Neenah, cut out with the matching die from the kit and then inked with the same distress ink. It was then adhered onto the background with glue dots. A button and some May Arts Jute Twine finish off the card. The sentiment is also part of the kit, stamped with Memento ink on a piece of card stock inked with tea dye ink.


The September kit is currently still available while supplies last. And there is also still time to subscribe to the My Monthly Hero kits, in order to start your subscription with the October kit (you would not receive the September kit with the subscription). I've had a lot of fun with this kit and looking forward to the next one already! Maybe it'll be Christmas themed? We will see....

A little close up below..



I made this card to fit the challenge on the "Blog Named Hero".
It also fits these challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Monday -  Monochrome
Cards in Envy -  Feels Like Fall
Make My Monday - Autumn Colors 
Always Fun Challenges - Anything Goes 
Stinkin' Inkers - Leaves are Falling
Mod Squad Challenge- Fall Colors
Aud Sentiments Challenge - Fall and a Sentiment 
Cardz 4 Galz - Thoughts of Fall
Cute Card Thursday  - Monochrome
4 Crafty Chicks - Anything Goes 
Crafty Catz - ATGoes 
Just Add Ink - something beginning with K (a Kit was used)
Crafting with Dragonflies - Anything Goes
Sweet Stampin - Dies and Punches
Dragonfly Dreams –Anything Goes
heARTful Stamping Challenge  - Anything Goes 


Thanks so much for visiting!! By the way, my there is still a little time left to join in at Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday challenge where the theme is "Signs of Autumn". Come play along if you haven't already! I'd love to see what you're been creating this fall season!


This post contains some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no additional cost to you. The kit featured today as well as all other products have been purchased by me at full price, and all opinions are my own. 

Sep 22, 2018

Allsorts 486: Water or the Color Blue

Good morning, it's time already for a new theme at Allsorts challenge and we have a fun new theme chosen by Helene. Water or the Color Blue. Hope you can come join us to be entered into the prize drawing!


I decided to go with the color blue, these birds were just asking to be inked up :-)
The stamp is Penny Black's Sweetest Sound, inked with Distress markers spritzed with water and stamped on Bristol Vellum paper using my Tonic stamp platform. I stencilled the background using Tim Holtz' Concerto stencil and distress ink. The border was inked with black memento ink (I simply wiped the  inkpad over the edges). Heat embossed the sentiment (old and retired from Whimsy Stamps) using Versafine Onyx ink and clear embossing powder. Framed with white card stock and then used a retired Stampin Up blue color as a card base. 


Sweetest Sound by Penny Black // Distress Markers //  Bristol Vellum Paper // Tonic Stamp Platform // Memento Tuxedo Ink //  Versafine Onyx Ink // Clear Embossing Powder // Whimsy Stamps Sentiment (no longer available)

Also sharing my card here:
Stamping Sensations - Something beginning with "B" - Birds, Branch and Blue
AuroraWings Challenge - Inspired by Music
Paper Shelter Challenge - Sentimental
Sunny Day Crafting -  Any Animals Always
Brown Sugar  - All Creatures Great and Small
Crafty Catz  - Anything Goes
Crafting With An Attitude  - Always Anything Goes
Crafty Animals  - Always Anything Goes
Create and Inspire  - Anything Goes + option of inspired by a song

Thanks so much for visiting!


Below I have linked to some of the products on Amazon, for those of you interested. They are affiliated links, meaning I might earn a small commision if you purchase through the links, at no additional cost to you. 

Sep 19, 2018

More Signs of Autumn for Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday Challenge

Happy Wednesday! I am back today with a couple more fall themed cards for Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday challenge. There are some gorgeous entries already but still some time to join in if you haven't already, or maybe you'd like to share a second or third card? If you would like to link up, simply scroll down   -   the linky tool is at the end of this post.

As a reminder this month's theme is "Signs of Autumn". This can be anything  fall related, fall flowers, fall colors, fall activities etc.

I played some more with the September Hero Arts "My Monthly Hero" stamp kit, and the cards are perfect for this challenge. If you would like to see a couple other cards I made witht this kit, simply click here.

Hero Arts MMH September Kit // Memento Tuxedo Ink // Copic Markers // Distress Inks: Broken China and Peacock Feathers // Xpress It Blending Card // Paper Piercing Tool Kit (retired) 


I started out by masking the edges of my white card stock (I used Xpress It Blending Card)  with painters tape, then inked up the square using distress inks. Next I stamped the sentiment "Life is full of Beauty" which is part of the Hero Arts MMH September Kit randomly onto the square, then removed the masking tape. 

The flower was also stamped on Xpress it card using Memento Tuxedo ink, then colored with copic markers. This stamp kit comes with matching dies and I used it to cut out the flower. It was then attached to the card with pop up glue dots. A very CAS card, but I did add some paper piercing along the edges of the inked square for an extra detail. Framed with some Stampin Up card stock (sorry I don't remember the color name) to finish it off. 


Challenges Card 1:
4 Crafty Chicks  Alcohol Inks (copics used)
Aud Sentiments Challenge -  Fall and a Sentiment 
Through the Purple Haze - Bright Colors
 If You Gave A Crafter A Cookie... - ATGoes this time 
CAS on Friday – Flowers 
Crafting with Dragonflies  - Anything Goes - Cards Only 
Di's Digis Designs - Happy Fall  
Dragonfly Dreams -  Anything Goes
Dragonfly Journeys - Fall Festival of Colors



To make the card above, I heat embossed the branch using Versamark Ink and gold embossing powder on black card stock. The single leaves were also embossed and the matching leaf die from the  Hero Arts  Kit was used to cut them out. I thought I would dig out my Pearl Ex powders for a change (haven't used them in ages!!) and simply added color to the leaves with a barely wet paint brush. I added a strip of matte gold paper from my stash to the side and stamped the sentiment on a white strip of paper.  The single leaves were added with  pop up dots

Challenges Card 2: 
Cards in Envy - Feels Like Fall 
Cutie Pie Challenge - Shades of Autumn  
Make My Monday -  -Autumn Colors 
Stinkin' Inkers - Leaves are Falling
Tuesday Throwdown  - Add Some Texture (heat embossing and pop up dots)
Always Fun Challenges -  Fall Colors 
Cardz 4 Galz Thoughts of Fall 
Cute Card Thursday  - Dies and Punches
Daring Cardmakers – Emboss

In case anyone is interested: this post features  the September kit from the  Hero Arts My Monthly Hero  kit subscription (which I just subscribed to a few weeks ago!) . It is currently availablabe for purchase while supplies last. 
If you are interested in a kit subscription (can be cancelled anytime), you would start your subscription with the October kit if subscribed by 9/28 (In the past this has been Christmas themed but of course there is no way knowing yet what this year's October kit will look like!)  If you are in the US you get free shipping with your kit subscription, shipping does apply to those outside the US. 






The linky tool for this month's challenge has been inserted into this post, so simply link up your Signs of Autumn creation below. One lucky winner will receive a leafy stamp by Penny Black. 
Please remember to leave a link back here in your blog post and you may enter up to 3 times. You may combine this with any other challenges!

Happy Stamping :)

This post contains some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no additional cost to you. The kit featured today as well as all other products have been purchased by me at full price, and all opinions are my own.