September Card Chain Challenge

It's been a while since I joined the Card Chain Challenge but I finally signed up again for September and today is reveal day. There were several challenge options given such as a sketch, themes, colors or techniques. I chose the colors along with the theme of "fish" and this is what I came up with. My card went to Arlene in CA.

I did my best to find colors to match the color combo below:

The images and sentiment are all part of a set by Hero Arts - Curious Cat. I colored with Distress inks, Hero Reactive ink and Faber Castell Polychromos pencils. Images have all been fussy cut. 

The brick background was done using a 3D Texture Fades ebossing folder (also at Amazon). At the bottom of the brick background I used a gingham stamp by Lawn Fawn and black ink. 

I'm entering the above card here:

• A Perfect Time To Craft - AG
• Ally's Angels - AG
• Can You Handle The Pressure? - AG with Embossing Folder
• Crafty Animals - AG
• Critter Crazy Challenges - AG
• FarmQuest Home Challenge Blog - AG Home related (this was a scene from my own home some years ago just a larger aquarium)
• Neglected Stuff Challenge - AG with neglected stuff (patterned paper and stamp set have both been neglected )
• Paper Rock Scissors - AG with paper and/or scissors (I used both - paper layers and scissors for fussy cutting and ribbon cutting)
• Stamps & Fun = Creativity - Animals
• The Paper Funday - AG
• Try It On Tuesday - Animals

I received the beautiful card below from Julia from MA. Isn't that flamingo absolutely stunning!! And loving the texture!

If you've been thinking about joining in at the Card Chain Challenge then you still have few more days to sign up for the October card exchange. All you have to do is make and send a card to the person in front of you on the sign up sheet and receive a card from the one signing up after you. So fun! All details can be found here.

Thanks so much for visiting!

World Cardmaking Day Sale Going On Now!

Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday - October Challenge

Hello and welcome to the October Edition of Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday challenge taking place right here on my blog. I'm so glad you stopped by and hope you'll share something too. There were some wonderful entries last month, thank you all so much for joining in. As always my top picks with a twist are at the end of the post.

As most of you know, the theme at Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday is now always ....

Anything Goes

and instead of a challenge theme there will be a "Top Pick Twist", meaning I will select a twist from all of the entries for the Top 3. Nobody will know what the twist will be (not even me) until the end of the challenge. So do link up all of your crafty makes, your entry might be the one inspiring the Top Pick twist :) The linky tool is at the end of this post.

Here is what I made:

I made a CAS style card using Tracy Evans Boutique Designs Numerical Cats along with some leaves from the Tracy Evans set Silhouettes. Available from Simon Says Stamp and Topflight Stamps in the US or directly from Tracy Evans Boutique Designs in the UK.

I made a mask using a circle die cut and my big shot machine then inked the circle using Antique Linen, Carved Pumpkin and Aged Mahogany Distress inks/Oxides. A torn paper mask was used to add some "hills" in the background. Then I stamped the cat using Versafine Onyx ink. The leaves were inked using Carved Pumpkin and Aged Mahogany ink. Birthday sentiment is from a SU set I found at a thrift store, it's probably retired. "Meow" is part of the same Tracy Evans set. I layered this onto matching papers by Stampin Up. 

>>>>>>>>>Click here to shop all kinds of cat stamps at Scrapbook.com/Ad 

(PS: Take an extra10% off with coupon code for World Card Making Day - ends soon!!)

This post includes some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links. As always, this is at no cost to you. Thank you so much for your support!

I plan to share with these challenges:

• 613 Avenue Create - Lots of leaves
• Addicted to CAS - Code word: Leaves
• A Place To Start - Leaves and Circles
• Double D - Mood Board (below)
• Dream Valley Challenges - Autumn Colors
• Stamps & Fun = Creativity - Animals

Top Picks with a Twist:

Now it's time to announce the Top Picks with a twist. Thank you all again for joining in, it was so great to see your posts! 

The twist from the September entries is: Beautiful Blossoms, meaning each one of my top picks features flowers.

No. 43 Irene M.

No. 51 Yvette

No. 56 Maria

Congratulations to each one of you on your well deserved recognition! The Top Pick logo is below, you may post this to your own blogs if you like to :)

I will continue to pin the top picks to the dedicated Pinterest board, but will also include photo and link back to the original blogs/sites here. These will be removed at the start of the new challenge to stay in compliance with GDPR.

To join in this month's challenge please use the linky tool below. You have until October 31st to join in.

A few things to remember:

• You may combine with any other challenges.
• You may use any brand of stamps/digis/dies/papers (no company restriction as long as copyright laws are followed).
• Please note: entries using pre-colored digital products will no longer be selected as top picks. 
• A short description of products used is expected, most importantly the source of focal point.
• This linkup is for sharing handmade projects of any kind not limited to papercrafts.
• Please try to limit to 3 entries per month - it's ok if you end up with more than 3 but I may not be able to visit your entries after the 3rd.
• Please do include a link back here to my blog in your blog post.
• Backlinking to a recent post IS allowed.

You can read more about the Guidelines/Copyright info here.

World Cardmaking Day Sale Going On Now!

Witching Hour

Hello everyone! October is here and it's the start of a new challenge at the Four Seasons challenge blog. Autumn is all around us here in the Northern Hemisphere and we have another wonderful mood board to inspire your autumnal creations. But as always, you don't have to use it as "Anything Fall Goes".

I was inspired by the bottom right image from the mood board (see below) to use this gorgeous Marcie from Lavinia Stamps. She is from last year's release but I only just purchased her. I usually get my Lavinia stamps from ASC Supplies on Etsy and Joggles also has a nice assortment. Of course if you are in the UK you can get them directly from Lavinia for the best selection.

The background was done with one of Lavinia's hill's stencils but this can easily be done with a handmade paper mask using copy paper by tearing or cutting with scissors Then I stamped the witch  and cat  using Versafine Onyx ink along with the branches on the left and right side using Lavinia's Seasonal Tree stamp. 

Next I stamped the moon and the leaves from the set Creeping Vine. Finally I thought it needed something else so I chose Orchard Grass. Besides black ink I used Distress inks Wild Honey, Rusty Hinge and Aged Mahohany. For some sparkle I used a Sakura Stardust glitter pen on her hair, broom, dress and around the moon but unfortunately the sparkle isn't showing up well in the photos. 

Sentiment is also from Lavinia stamps - Witching Hour.

Below is a peek at our mood board. Isn't it just fabulous??!!

This post includes some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links. As always, this is at no cost to you. Thank you so much for your support!

I plan to share my card with these challenges:

1. A Perfect Time To Craft - AG
2. Ally's Angels - AG
3. A Place To Start - Leaves and Circles
4. Classic Design Challenge - AG opt. Leaves
5. Crafts Galore Encore - AG
6. DL.Art Linky Challenge - AG
7. Double D - Mood Board (below)
8. Dream Valley Challenges - Autumn 10
9. Make My Monday - Autumn
10. Pammie's Inky Pinkies Challenges - Autumn/Halloween 10

PS: I also have another post today for my monthly Crafty Wednesday challenge. Click here to read the post and to link up your own creation over there.

Woodland Critters Always and Forever

Today is the start of a new theme at Allsorts challenge and Sarah wants to see "Woodland Critters". Of course the Anything Goes option is there too and hope you can join us. We have prizes from Lavinia Stamps and you have two weeks to join us.

A few days ago was our 27th wedding anniversary and I made this cute card for my husband using The Wallace Family hedgehogs as the focal point along with some other Lavinia stamps. I've always loved hedgehogs ever since I discovered one in my childhood garden as a young child. Now that I live in the States the chances that I come across one are very slim as they aren't native here, unfortunately. 

I started out by stamping the tree (Tree of Courage) and hedgehogs using Versafine Onyx ink. I did mask a little bit off the tree to make it appear as if the hedgehog is walking out from behind the tree. Next I used Lavinia's Feather Leaf stencil with brown and blue inks and stamped the leaves around the tree top which are part of the Creeping Vine set. As it is an anniversary card I decided to add a little tiny heart (part of a die set by Avery Elle) and sticker sentiment from Tim Holtz. I thought the card needed something a little more at the bottom and so I decided to add more leaves in Tea Dye and Villainous Potion inks. The small mushrooms on the left of the tree are Lavinia's Slender Mushrooms (mini). Btw. I linked the stamps to my favorite US Lavinia Stamps retailer on Etsy (ASC Craft Supplies - free US shipping and her shop has so much more besides Lavinia stamps!!). If you are in the UK/Europe your best place would be directly from the Lavinia Stamps shop.

This post includes some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links. As always, this is at no cost to you. Thank you so much for your support!

I plan to share with these challenges:

• Cardz 4 Guyz - Autumn
• Crafty Animals - AG with Animals
• Crafty Gals Corner - Fall...Leaves
• Crazy is our fame - STENCILS are our game! - Stencils opt. Nature
• DL.ART Thankful Thursday - AG opt. Fall
• Do-Al(l) Kreatives - AG
• Double Trouble Challenge - Doodle Styled Image (the tree), 2 layers, 1 sentiment
• Dream Valley Challenges - Fall Colors
• FarmQuest General Store Challenge - Anything Farm/Country Goes
• Heart's Quest Celebration of Love - Opt. Harvest
• Just Us Girls - Stencils
• Path of Positivity - Anything Positive
• Simon Says Stamp - AG
• The Male Room - Make Your Own Background
• The Paper Funday - AG
• We Love Stamping - Make it Cute

Thanks so much for visiting!!