Allsorts Challenge 543: Make Your Own Background

This is not a sponsored post, however it includes some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no cost to you! Thank you so much for your support! 

Good morning! It's time for a new theme at Allsorts challenge, this week Lynn is hosting and her theme for this week is: Make Your Own Background - No Designer Papers! Hope you can join us for a chance to win! We're having a great prize this week by Crafty Devils.

This card was super simple to make and can be recreated for any occasion. 

I used Penny Black's Hypnotic stencil and Distress Oxide inks in Blueprint Sketch, Cracked Pistachio and Tumbled Glass on Bristol Vellum paper (not to be confused with the milky translucent vellum paper). Next I stamped the music notes border (retired stamp - similar, I'd also like this stamp set as an option),  using Tumbled Glass ink, added some ink around the edges and finally heat embossed the sentiment using Versafine Clair Nocturne ink and ultra fine clear embossing powder. A few sticky rhinestones finish off this card. The sentiment is from a new to me Penny Black sentiment set (Eloquence) I recently got from Amazon.  I used heavy weight white cardstock by Recollections for the card base.



        >>>Michaels Sale Alert: Take 25% off your entire online order, or order online and pick up in store. This also applies to sales prices. Use code SPOOKY25W. Valid online through Saturday Oct. 26th.

Penny Black Hypnotic Stencil // Penny Black Eloquence // Music Sheet Background Stamp (Retired - Similar, also like this set as an option)  Distress Inks: Tumbled Glass, Cracked Pistachio, Blueprint Sketch // Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink // Clear Embossing Powder // Sticky Rhinestones // Ranger Blending Tool // 110lb Heavy Weight White Card Stock // Bristol Vellum Paper

I'm also joining these great challenges:

Just Add Ink - Add a Technique (Stenciling) // Cardz 4 Galz - Something beginning with S - Stencil Design // Artistic Stampers - Music // Crafty Sentiment Designs - Use a Sentiment // Path of Positivity - Something Positive (opt. Courage)

STAMPlorations - Stencils // Inspire Me Monday 

 


Thank you so much for visiting!! Hope to see you over at the challenge blog!

Fashion Over Forty: A Not So Ordinary Crewneck Sweater from Target

This is not a sponsored post, however it includes some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no cost to you! Thank you so much for your support! 

Last Friday I talked about a few sweaters I ordered from Target, and showed you an outfit with the striped sweater. Today I'm sharing an outfit with the blush colored crewneck sweater I ordered.

I want to say I'm not usually a big fan of crewneck sweaters, but when I saw this one featured by a fashion blogger, I was immediately drawn to the color and details on the neck and the sleeves. I wasn't sure how I liked the high neck and wasn't able to try it on in the store as my small town Target store doesn't carry it. I decided to order it through their website and it arrived at my house within a few days. I am happy to say that I love it as much as I had hoped I would. The ribbed knit is so soft and even though the sleeves are wide at the bottom, I had no issues at all wearing it under a trench coat.

I paired the sweater with bootcut flare jeans by Nine West Vintage America. I've had them for a few years, so no direct link, but these Denizen by Levi Jeans look similar and they come in regular, short and long sizes! And these bootcut jeans by Wit and Wisdom come in regular and petite sizes. 

I added a black belt, dare I say this belt I've had for a looooooog time, from my teenage years in Germany to be exact LOL. Does anyone else keep things for this long? Around 25 years?? But if there is nothing wrong with it why get rid of it, right? 

Anyway, if you're looking to update your belt, currently almost every fashion blogger is wearing some sort of ring or double ring buckle belt, so they must be trending. Personally circle belt buckles aren't my style so I won't be adding a new belt to my closet.

I'm carrying the same handbag I carried in last week's fashion post. I love this bag as it easily converts to a crossbody bag which comes in so handy and are my favorite types of bags. Plus a black bag goes with pretty much everything. 

For jewelrly I wore a simple leaf necklace from Loft - unfortunately this one is no longer available, and I couldn't find one quite like it, but any  necklace would work. Target does have some pretty ones.  I really like this double layer necklace.

My aviator prescription sunglasses are by Vera Bradley. Non-prescription sunglasses with some pretty Vera Bradley patterns are available on Amazon. Of course you can't see the pattern I chose in these photos, which is probably a good thing, as they don't match my outfit, but these are my only prescription sunglasses and wearing them was a must on this sunny day. 

I'm wearing the same booties by Clark again as in last week's post. The only boots with heels I own and since bootcut jeans are best worn with a little bit of a heel (so they don't drag on the floor) I decided to wear them again. But since I've had them for a while I dont't have a link.

 I do like  these ankle boots by Miz Mooz (I've mentioned them before). And these vintage inspired booties look pretty amazing as well, but with a higher heel of 2.5". I've also heard great things about Vionic brand. You can view their ankle boots here. For a lower price option check out these ankle boots from Target. I personally have never purchased footwear from Target so I don't know how comfortable they are, but these do have good reviews and are priced under $40. 

I had my trench coat with me. This jacket was a hand-me-down from my dear sister, it's was purchased in Germany and I have no link to it. A trench coat is a classic jacket that never goes out of style. It no longer fit my sister and luckily it was a perfect fit for me! 

If you're interested in a trench coat, this trench coat from Old Navy looks nice and is rain repellent like mine. This trench coat from Banana Republic looks gorgeous but expensive. And I also like this trench coat from Nordstrom. The hood is so practical! Some of you more on trend than me might like this fun plaid pattern trench coat from TJMaxx. (Plaid is trending this fall!) But it's only available in Medium and Large.

I've stepped a little bit out of my comfort zone here and added a silk animal print scarf I've had for a long time and never worn it. It was picked up on clearance from Bergners departement store. I thought it added some interest to the otherwise plain and simple outfit and went well with the rusty blush colored sweater. Being made out of silk this scarf is very thin so not something that adds warmths on very cold days, but it was perfect on this day. This Leopard print scarf would be a great alternative and I'm sure also a little bit warmer than mine. 

A couple more pictures ... wish the sun wasn't this bright, but unfortunately we currently only have one day a week where we can take these pictures.

>>>>Sale Alert: FREE SHIPPING AND 40% TO 50% OFF MOST STYLES AT LOFT!

 USE CODE BOO

ends October 29th 3am ET

Blush Crewneck Sweater // Bootcut Jeans (old) - Similar Option // Similar Trench Coat, Higher Priced Hooded Trench Coat, Plaid Pattern Trenchcoat (for those of you more on trend than me) // Boots by Clark (old) - Similar Option,  Lower Priced Option // Similar  Leopard Print Scarf// Similar Aviator Sunglasses Choices // Handbag Option  

Below are a few snippets of the items I mentioned above. Each one of these is clickable and will lead you to the store where you can take a closer look at each item. Remember, these are affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commssion if you buy something through the link, at no cost to you!

 

Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to visit my blog. Hope you have a fantastic weekend! 

Btw, you can also find me here:

Pinterest // Instagram // Facebook

You can also use the "follow by email" function on the blog's sidebar to receive a notification when a new post goes live. I do share papercrafts in addition to my fashion over forty posts, so keep in mind that you would receive a notification for both types of posts.

Linking up with these great fashion related blogs.

including here: 

My good "silk/satin" buy was the silk scarf, although I don't wear it often, I love having it in my wardrobe.

Gold and/or Silver for Allsorts Challenge

This is not a sponsored post, however it includes some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no cost to you! Thank you so much for your support! 

Hello and thank you so much for visiting! It's time for a new theme at Allsorts challenge. I'm hosting this week and picked the theme of: Gold and/or Silver.

You can add a lot or a little gold or silver, the choice is yours, you can also use both, gold and silver!
Our prize this week is a wonderful A4 sized stamp set  from  Rare Earth. Hope you will join us for your chance to win!


I made two cards for this challenge using a super old stamp set and a very new stamp set.

First up is my card using an ancient Stampin Up set - Old Fashioned Christmas - to make by card. This stamp set is long retired, but there are several sets available on eBay. This listing is for a brand new never used set.

I started out by  heat embossing the tree using Versafine Clair Nocturne ink and ultra fine clear embossing powder. The Santa Claus image has been heat embossed on a separate bristol vellum paper (not to be confused with the thin milky white vellum). Everything was colored with Distress inks. Santa has been fussy cut.

 

With a piece of washi tape in place I stencilled the "floor" using a striped stencil. I didn't mask the gifts under the tree, I just was really carefull not to get any ink onto them. Next placed the washi tape over the "floor" and inked a design using Penny Black's Oscillations stencil onto the "wall". Again, I was just being careful around the tree and didn't mask it. Santa Claus has been adhered to the the card with pop up tape. The sentiment is also part of this set. I wiped my Versamark ink pad across the edges and sprinkled gold embossing powder over them, then heat embossed. 

Stampin Up Old Fashioned Christmas // Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink // Ultra Fine Clear Embossing Powder // Distress Inks for Coloring // Classy Stripes Stencil // Penny Black Oscillations Stencil // Versamark Ink // Gold Embossing Powder // Bristol Vellum Paper // Foam Tape

Related Products:

>>>Sale Alert: Take an extra 10% off the Clearance Prices at Scrapbook. com! Ends October 21st Midnight MST.

My second card was done with a brand new stamp set from the Hero Arts October release. I am no longer subcribed to their kits, this month's kit has been tempting but instead I decided to get this gorgeous set and also the matching die set. I fell in love with these cats (no surprise there!) and think it will work well for occasions other than Christmas if other sentiments were used and by leaving out the Christmas tree.

You can purchase this cute stamp set directly from Hero Arts along with the matching die set, and it's also available at Scrapbook. com.

Everything was stamped on Bristol Vellum Paper, colored with Distress Inks and then I used my Big Shot machine and the matching dies to cut out each stamped image. The tree was heat embossed using Versamark Ink and Silver Embossing Powder. After cutting it out I inked it with Evergreen Bough Distres Oxide Ink. All other stamping was done with Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink and heat embossed with Ultra Fine Clear Embossing Powder. 

The floor was done using Penny Black's Floor Die  and inked with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. Some of the images were adhered with dimensional foam tape and I added a clear button with gold cord to finish off this card. 

Hero Arts Meowy Christmas and Matching Frame Dies // Penny Black Floor Die Set // Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink // Versamark Ink // Clear Embossing Powder // Silver Embossing Powder // Distress Inks and Oxides: Abandoned Coral, Evergreen Bough, Rusty Hinge, Black Soot, Walnut Stain, Vintage Photo // Sakura Glitter Pen Clear // Big Shot Die Manual Die Cutting Machine // Bristol Vellum Paper

And that is all for today. Thank you so much for visiting! Have a great weekend!

Also sharing my card with these challenges:

The 12 Months of Christmas Link Up - Sensational Santa (1st card) // Little Red Wagon - Teddy Bears or Work Related (1st card - lots of teddy bears part of my image, plus Santa at work :-) // Crimbo Crackers - Anything Christmas // The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge  - Christmas // Addicted to Stamps and More - Holiday // Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - Anything Goes Christmas // Cute N' Crafty Christmas - Christmas // Colour Crazy Challenge - Coloring // Winter Wonderland - Merry and Bright (2nd card) // Fab n Funky - Feature a Creature (2nd card) // Moo-Mania & More - Die Cuts (2nd Card) // Crafty Animals - Animals (2nd card) // Happy Little Stampers - Christmas // Happy Little Stampers - Dies // Lost Coast Designs - Pets (2nd card) // Tinker- Dream - Favorite Animal (Cats!) // Cutie Pie Challenge - Cute (2nd card)

Anything Goes:

Brown Sugar //  Crafting With An Attitude // Creative Fingers // Jo's Scrap Shack //QKR Stampede // Lemon Shortbread // Crafting By Designs // Crafty Creations  // Happy Craft Challenge // LeAnn’s World 101// The Creative Crafters

Inspire me Monday

Fashion Over Forty: Favorite Fall Sweater Finds From Target

This is not a sponsored post, however it includes some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no cost to you! Thank you so much for your support! 

This is my second post for today. If you are here to view my newest papercraft for Penny Black and More challenge, click here (hopefully the permalink works!) or simply scroll down to the next post.

While visiting a few fashion blogs recently I came across a sweater from Target that I LOVED. However it was not available at my local store (small town problem!!) so I decided to go online to check out their new sweaters and found several I wanted to try. Target ships free at $35 or more, and returns are easy (at the store or by mail). My order came in two shipments, today I am showing you an outfit with the first sweater I received. At the end of this post I've included pictures of the others I ordered and received in the meantime.

You can purchase this striped sweater here, (it's by  Universal Threads) (ETA: This color option is Sold Out, but available in Gray Stripes which is a great choice for the Winter months.) and if you are lucky you might find it at your local Target store while your're out shopping. This is not the sweater I've seen posted by the other fashion blogger, but one that caught my eye while browsing their site. I've always been a fan of striped tops and I love these colors so it made its way into the shopping cart.

This is a mock neck sweater. I was worried that it would be itchy but the fabric is so soft and not itchy at all. The label says it's machine washable, but I did notice one of the reviewers recommending hand washing, because her sweater came out with lint on the black stripes after machine washing it. I do try to hand wash most of my knit sweaters anyway as it keeps them in better condition than machine washing. I always use Woolite Delicates when hand washing knit sweaters.

I would say it runs true to size. I did end up folding it up at the sleeves but I am petite and therefore it was a little bit long on my arms.

My jeans are from Loft. This pair was purchased a few years ago so I can no longer link to them. They do have some great new styles available, and I assume they are still as comfortable as mine are.  Right now, Loft is running a 40% off sale with code FRIENDS.

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I've had these boots by Clark for a long time. They may not be "on trend" but they are super comfortable. I have no link for these, but if you're looking for a comfortable pair of booties with a little heel I like these booties by Taos with a 1.25 inch heel. I also like these ankle boots by Miz Mooz (I've mentioned these before). And these vintage inspired booties look pretty amazing as well, but with a higher heel of 2.5". I've also heard great things about Vionic brand. You can view their ankle boots here. 

For a lower price option do check out Target ankle boots. I've never purchased shoes for myself from Target, so I can't say how comfortable they are, but many of their shoes/boots do have good reviews. 

My shoulder bag is by Chaps (old). I does convert easily into a cross body bag and I love that because they are so practical. 

Related Products:

Below are all the sweaters I ordered: each one I received in a size XS and they fit as expected, true to size. For size references I am around 5'2" and  weigh around 120lb. 

This crew neck sweater (from the A New Day line) was featured on another blog and I fell in love! I love the unique Victorian inspired neckline and the sleeve details. The color is gorgeous too and it's so soft!  Like the other  blogger, I will be styling this top with jeans but not with a skirt! This one is a keeper!

This tunic lengths sweater (also by A New Day) was shared by a different fashion blogger. (They are all so enabling!!) I normally don't buy turtlenecks, but really liked the way this one looked worn by the other blogger styled with skinny jeans, I decided to order it. Again the sweater is super soft, not at all scratchy and the turtleneck is loose enough where it doesn't bother me. I also love this  burgundy color and loved how it fit. So it is another keeper. 

This Ribbed Crew neck Sweater (another one by A New Day) is also really soft. This is a more fitted sweater style. I decided to return this one although the color is gorgeous and I did like the fit, but I liked the other sweaters more and cannot keep all of them.

I also got this sweatshirt by Universal Threads, but in a rust (brown) color. I don't see that color online anymore. But wanted to list in anyway as I find it super comfortable and it's another keeper for a casual look.

Finally, below is the sweater I'm wearing in today's post. As mentioned this sweater is so soft and warm, and the mock neck is very comfortable and not itchy at all. I've already worn it twice.

I hope you enjoyed today's post. Next week I'll be sharing an outfit with this crew neck sweater. Hope you'll come back to see that look. 

Btw, you can also find me here:

Pinterest // Instagram // Facebook

You can also use the "follow by email" function on the blog's sidebar to receive a notification when a new post goes live. I do share papercrafts in addition to my fashion over forty posts, so keep in mind that you would receive a notification for both types of posts.

Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to visit my blog!

Linking up with these great fashion related blogs.

More Pink for Penny Black and More October Challenge

This is not a sponsored post, however it includes some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no cost to you! Thank you so much for your support! 

Hello and thank you so much for stopping by! It's the 18th of the month and that means time for our midmonth Penny Black and More challenge inspiration. Our theme is "Pretty in Pink" and runs until the end of the month, so there is plenty of time left for you to join in if you haven't already. And you can always enter up to 3 times for more chances to win!

I always seem to be using a shade of pink when using this stamp - Fluffy Passenger by Penny Black. Here I created a watercolor wash background by inking a craft mat with Spun Sugar distress ink, spritzed with water then patted my bristol vellum paper onto the ink to create the background. Normally I'd add a second color (once the first color dried) but for our pretty in pink challenge I decided to keep it pink only. I stamped the image  using my Tonic stamp platform and Versafine Clair Nocturne ink, and I also used an old Stampin Up background stamp French Script, to add a border of french words. 

Related Products:

 >>>Sale Alert: Take an extra 10% off the Clearance Prices with Coupon Code: EXTRAFALL at Scrapbook. com! Ends October 21st Midnight MST. 

The sentiment is from a long retired floral stamp set from Whimsy Stamps (I'm sorry but I don't remember the name of this stamp set), stamped with Versafine Clair ink  on white card stock. I stapled it onto the card front then tied a pink gingham ribbon (Similar) to it. The ribbon looks reddish in the photo, but is a pretty pink in real life. A couple of sticky rhinestones were added to the centers of the wheels to finish it off. 

Penny Black Fluffy Passenger // Whimsy Stamps Sentiment (retired) // Stampin Up French Script (retired but still available on eBay) // Spun Sugar Distress Ink // Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink //  Tonic Stamp Platform // Ribbon Scrap - Similar Ribbon // Sticky Rhinestones // Bristol Vellum Paper

Thank you so much for visiting! Hope you're  having a fantastic day!

I'm linking up with these challenges:

Creations in Pink  - Mainly Pink // Creative Craft Cottage Challenges F - Pink // Path of Positivity - Anything Positive opt. Encouragement // Cutie Pie Challenge - Cute // Simon Says Stamp Monday - All Things Pink // Lavinia World Challenges - Use Stamps // Brown Sugar - Anything Goes // Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Black and White Plus One // Lost Coast Designs - Pets (puppy in the basket) // Craft Rocket Challenges - Pink // TIME OUT Challenges - Encouraging

Below Ive linked to the products I've used as found on Amazon. Remember these are affiliate links meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase through the links, but at not cost to you. 

Allsorts Challenge 541: Spots and/or Stripes

This is not a sponsored post, however it includes some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no cost to you! Thank you so much for your support!  

I'm back today with a new card for the new theme at Allsorts challenge. Kath is our host and she picked the theme of: Spots and/or Stripes. Two of my favorite patterns so I incorporated them both on my card. Our wonderful prize this week comes from Craft Stash.

I've been neglecting my Penny Black critter stamps for way too long and decided to ink up this cutie from the Penny Black set Birthday Critters. After the mouse was stamped and heat embossed (I used Versafine Clair Nocturne ink and Clear Embossing Powder) I masked the edges with washi tape. I also made masks out of post it note to cover up the embossed mouse and balloons before inking up the rectangle using Tumbed Glass Distress Oxide. An old Stampin Up cloud and stars stencil was used to add a an impression of clouds. You don't need a stencil for this, you can simply cut out a cloud shape by hand and use as stencil. The image was colored with various Distress inks (not Oxides) and a Zig Detailer brush. Sentiment is from the Penny Black set Sweet Wishes stamped with Versafine Clair ink. I added the paper strips from my stash and green ribbon. A clear Wink of Stella glitter brush was used to add some sparkles. The bee is from another Penny Black Critter set. 

Penny Black Birthday Critters // Penny Black Sweet Wishes // Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink // Clear Embossing Powder // Tumbed Glass Distress Oxide Ink // Distress Inks for Coloring // Zig Detailer Brush // Bristol Vellum Paper // Wink of Stella Clear Glitter Brush // Ribbon and Pattern Paper Scraps from Stash

Related Products:

Free Shipping on orders of $60 or more at Scrapbook. com within the U.S. Or save $6 on International Shipping. Expires October 14th at midnight MST.

I'm sharing with these challenges:

Double Trouble - Masking // Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes // Penny Black Saturday Challenge - PB stamps // Send a Smile for Kids - Celebrations or Anything for Kids // Dare 2B Artzy Challenges - Cute Animals // 
Inspire me Mondays

Thank you so much for visiting!! Have a fantastic weekend. 

Btw, you can also find me here:

Pinterest // Instagram // Facebook