September Snippets

I was cleaning (no that's not the right word) I was moving some stuff around on my desk to take a picture for the last post and uncovered this card that I started a few weeks ago.  I thought ' how hard would it be to finish and post it tonight'.  Ha Ha. Well finishing it was not as hard as taking a clear picture of it.  No matter how many times I tried, the camera wobbled, so apologies that it is blurry. 


A while ago I gave this background die by Die-namics to Jules for her birthday and she kindly cut out one for each of the Cardologists to make a card.  I am envious of the beautiful monochromatic card that Susanne made; you can see it on her blog here.

Mine was colored with a product similar to Twinkling H2Os that I purchased many years ago.  It languished because I didn't know what to do with all those colors!  Until I was trying to get all my cling and newly converted to cling stamps sorted by category and found this word stamp I had purchased this summer.  I love the saying by The Artful Stamper but am a little disappointed that I couldn't seem to get a good imprint.  Too much ink and pressure and I had grey marks all around it, yick. Too little and the words didn't all stamp.  I tried more cushion and less cushion; I changed ink pads and that helped.  By the eighth try I had trouble finding even one snippet of bright white paper left to use for the sentiment.  I finally had the saying with only one little wobble (don't look to closely) and had to make do with a Sharpie. Now she says to herself....that is what you bought the Misti for...duh.

Since this is a NBUS stamp, I am making this my second entry to Darnell's NBUS Challenge 5.  But since I also used snippets from the scrap box to punch the leaves and butterfly, I am also going over to Pixie's Crafty Workshop where Di is celebrating her birthday with Pixie's Snippets Playground - week 194. She would love it if you would play along with your snippets.

Happy Birthday Di!

September NBUS

When I look at the date on my last post, I have to wonder where the time has gone.  I just finished my first card  in three weeks! I have been busy cleaning out and managed to take a load to Good Will this last weekend.  Also I have begun changing some stamps from wood mount to cling to save room.  I am finding stamps that I didn't remember I had.  More about that later. 

But tonight, stamping with the Cardologists, I shared my Penny Black 'party time' stamps.  I love these hedgehogs.  Lola shared her happy birthday die which sparked the inspiration for this card and her embossing folder that made the dots.   

It looks a little funny in the picture, but that is a layer of sparkly paper which makes the card a little more festive. 

And since this is the first time I used this set, I can enter this card, just under the wire at the Darnell's NBUS Challenge #5.    This challenge to use 'never been used stuff' is great fun and hugely popular.  I hope you check it out if this is the first you are hearing of it.

Thanks for stopping by.

End of Winter

My blog title is my hope that this is the end of the snow and cold.  We have a bit of snow still on the ground which is going away slowly.  The forecast is for warmer temperatures and rain this week, that is the start of unofficial mud season.  I am reading all those blogs, where people are seeing their flowers bloom already, with wishful thinking.

I have two cards to post today.  One was the St Patrick's Day card I made for the Cardologists.  This card is made with a Celtic gyre as the focal point.  I covered it in Crystal Effects to make it look a little like a charm.   I used a Spellbinders lattice die and two sizes of Sizzix framelits to cut the backgrounds.  The shamrock was made with a heart punch.

Because you can see, with a little imagination, a green ombre look, I am submitting this card to the City Crafter Challenge Blog where Darnell is the special guest designer.  You still have a few hours to check out the Week 254 challenge.  Even though I have had the boxed set of Celtic stamps forever, this is a never been used stamp as are the Sizzix dies that I received as a gift.  So I am also linking the card to  Darnell's NBUS Challenge 4.

This next card was a quick, and I mean really quick card, made because I didn't want to miss the deadline at Time Out Challenges.  My cardologist friend, Susanne, is guest designer there for challenge 27 where the theme is "Clean and Simple with an optional twist of Black and White plus a Splash of One Colour."

My style might have too many layers to be CAS, but I hope it has enough white to qualify.  The stamp is from a retired Stampin'  Up set called Measure of a Life.  Just a tiny bit of blue colored pencil on the body rubbed out over the wings.


Thank you for visiting my site.  I hope you have a wonderful day.

Chloe Hugs

Many years ago when I started stamping, I had a habit of leaving new stamps on my desk until I used them at least once.  Now they have graduated to a box on the floor waiting for their first ink.  What to use first..... Do the other dies feel sad because I picked this one?


Apologies for the poor scanning job on the picture.  I am rushing to post tonight to enter in the NBUS challenge at Darnell's website.  I used my never-been-used Sue Wilson die set from Creative Expressions and Chloe stamp from the Stacy Yacula collection at Purple Onion.  The paper I used and the embellishment in the flower were recent gifts (Lots of NBUS stuff with Christmas and my birthday only a day apart!)  Finally, this was my first try using Gamsol with colored pencils.  Not tremendously happy with my background, but it just means I have to practice!

A co-worker told me that his wife said today is National Hug Day.  I confirmed by the great Google tool that January 21 is indeed an annual holiday.  So hugs to all my readers! 

One Layer Simplicity and NBUS

I am posting late because it was the night the Cardologists get together.  We have a rule that we do not get dessert before everyone has finished a card.  Lately all our cards have been so complicated  we have given up and had dessert at 10 just to go home and finish the card.  But tonight I had an idea for a card I wanted to do that would meet the one layer challenge.  When everyone saw how easily it came together, and knowing there was delicious Lemon Meringue Pie waiting, they wanted to make it too.  I can't show you the beautiful pie, but here is the card:

I am entering in the One Layer Simplicity challenge.  I hope you follow the link to check it out because Ardyth, a stamper I admire, is hosting the challenge this month.  I am also entering in the second NBUS Challenge hosted by the talented Darnell.



 

I started with Soft Sky ink on a (NBUS) Hampton Art Stamp with squares.  I have had that stamp for ages and never found a use for it until now.  Two colors of Distress inks went over the corners and then the squares were stamped on the card.  The flower and greeting came from Stampin Up's Simply Sketched; the flower was colored with pencils.  The only embellishment is Wink of Stella over the flower which doesn't photograph well.

I hope you have a wonderful day.
Dora
 PS: We had to bring the second card home to finish - lots of coloring.