One Layer "Beeting" Heart

I am playing along this morning with 

A Blog Named Hero.

I am using the Hero Arts "Stamp Your Own Salad" set to make this CAS Valentine card for the one layer challenge. 

I cut apart the sentiment and left out the heart and beet words to replace with the images.  The inks I stamped the images with are Hero Arts (the cubes that were in the first HA My Monthly Hero kit) and I did some simple Copic blending over top of the beet and leaves to create some shading and variation...because we know that beets have those gorgeous leaves.  The heart is a solid one from my stash and I used the two darkest shades from the monthly kit, just dabbing the cubes to the beet image here and there until I thought it looked about right.  I also Winked my heart with clear for a really nice shimmer (IRL).  

Easy Peasy.  I can't think of a clever phrase to use with a beet theme...

thanks for stopping by.

hugs-Chriss

Ombre Valentine

Happy Wednesday!

I am playing along with the SSS Wednesday challenge today, Ombre, and the PTI Create Along with Us challenge.  I was greatly inspired by Amy Sheffer's use of graduated colour, pattern and layout!

My card was made by first using distress inks and an inexpensive water sparkly colour set from Michael's that I used for the front panel.  I then used an Avery Elle dotted die to emboss with and create a little frame.  I cut the patterned papers from my stash with a PTI heart die from the Heart Prints set and adhered in a somewhat ombre fashion.  Some of these are layered onto coaster board, some onto fun foam and some are just adhered directly onto the panel.  You can see some of the dimension in the pic below.  I then stamped the PTI Valentine sentiment from the Keep it Simple set in black.  Some paint speckles finish it off.

Muse 147

Playing cards with Michele today with her Muse post!

I am making Valentine's Day cards and had the perfect card... in my head.  

It's a little skunk with a sentiment that says "I stink I LOVE you" and I knew Michele would get a kick out of this.  Guess what...she is missing :(

So, I had to come up with something else.  I knew that I was inspired by the use of patterned paper and the stitched oval so I pulled out my stitched circles (no stitched ovals here) and black heat embossed this old SU mouse with Happy Heart Day sentiment onto my water colour die cut and painted with KTGansai paints, except for the green.  It is sparkly and from an inexpensive set from Michael's.  The patterned paper is an ode to Michele's popcorn...doesn't  it remind you of the popping motion?  I must say, I had a lot of fun making these, even though I couldn't find my little stinker skunk!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your day is super!

Let's keep it simple CAS 179

Happy New Year!

I am writing my first post of this new year and playing along with 
CASology #179   SIMPLE 

What a great theme to start off the year and probably a word for me that I would like to keep in mind...simple!




I am working on some Valentine cards and I am trying to make a variety of different styles. This first card is the more simple one, I think, and for both cards I am using Map Love from Concord & 9th.  The sentiment is stamped with Versa Mark onto WC card and then using Ranger black, I heat embossed.   For the world map I used Avery Elle Pigment ink in Lemon Grass and dabbed on SU Garden Green and Caramel pigment inks onto the stamp to create some sort of texture and depth and then clear embossed.  The squiggly arrow is Technique Tuesday and also black heat embossed.  A wood heart finishes it off.

 For this second card, I stamped in the same way as above but used Ranger white EP onto a SU card and I used a rectangular die to cut out a window.  I placed my other map version under the opening after giving this map the added water element by spongeing on some SU Cool Caribbean ink.  Seeing this on screen, I think I may have to add a pop of red in the form of a teeny heart or two!  

Both were Easy Peasy and I am kinda' proud that I made a "twofer"...echoing the genius Miss Darnell.  She is such a smart gal :)

Anyway...
Have a great week and thanks for stopping by!
Chriss

Groovy Kind of Love

Happy middle of the week!

I am taking a little break from my Valentine card order of 100 cards for the local CoOp grocery store to play along with this week's MUSE challenge.  It is a very special one as it marks the 100th challenge, AND, not only did I want to play along with this milestone anniversary...my friend Michele Ferguson is the Muse!  It is also her very first Design Team post!  Congrats Michele!

Here is her gorgeous card with an accentuated heart and a song title sentiment to boot!

Isn't this just breathtakingly elegant!?

I decided to run with a heart to accentuate and I made this card for my dear hubby.  We have known each other since we met in first grade. Yes, we have known each other for a little over 51 years!  We have been married for 35 years this May.  My heart has a Peace sign image from Technique Tuesday with a lot of fine detail that I heat embossed with Ranger White EP onto a PTI vellum card stock.  The heart "frame" is a PTI die that I used to cut through the kraft PTI card stock.  I used a cut-off Groovy sentiment from the Unity "Something Groovy" Itty Bitty set that I have had for a couple of years.  I white embossed it onto...wait for it...Groovy Guava SU textured card stock from several years back. The Love circles are also PTI and I made a mini heart die cut in the middle of the blank "o" circle and accented that with some mini layered hearts.  So, not as elegant as Michele's, but it is close to my heart as the song lyrics describe "us", perfectly :)

If you are interested in hearing the song, click on the link below to a YouTube link of the version on the soundtrack from my life...

Groovy Kind of Love  Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders 1965

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3kXqlJhGuE

Hugs, (feeling nostalgic) Chriss

Wanted...

and

Happy New Year!
I am wishing everyone a happy and healthy year with lots of crafting time :)

It has been a slow start to the year for me.  I like to think of it as gentle.

I had been away from home for such a long period of time, having just returned on December 21st, that I have to find my new normal routine.  I have been puttering in my craft room, organizing some new goodies that I ordered while I was in Montreal at my MIL's.  I ordered a few times from Simon Says Stamp and also from My Favorite Things.  This little guy was one of the MFT items.  Cute for a Texas boy to give to his gal.  I am thinking that I may send this to my future Son in Law to give to our daughter...he proposed to her last month on top of a mountain, (Whistler in BC) and we are so happy for them.  They currently live in N. Vancouver but are planning an Austin wedding sometime in the future!  Caitlin has already been talking about all of the wedding stuff involving paper that we will collaborate on!  

  So, onto the card.  I heat embossed the cowboy in black onto water colour paper and then used some distress inks to fill in some colour.  The little "You're Wanted" & "By Me" sentiments from the same MFT set are embossed with white Ranger EP and I swooshed on some Black Soot distress ink.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Hugs, Chriss

I am entering this into the SSS Wednesday challenge "Anything Goes"

and MFT sketch challenge #209









and
Darnell's NBUS #3

Yes!!!
Darnell is hosting again :)

Concept Card Challenge-New Nest

I am submitting another card for the new blog, Concept Card Challenge and their inaugural challenge, using the colours seen in this beautiful graphic.  I was going to try to make a CAS card as this is for my daughter and her boyfriend, so wanted something a little more hip...like they are!  But it just didn't work out that way.  I am "blaming" my direction of this card on the branch that I used, just not a "hip" branch I guess!  I hope that one day I will be able to create a CAS or CAG card too! (check the Card Concept blog for definitions and great examples of these) 

Well as for the need and want to create a new "nest" card for my daughter.  The happy couple moved 3 weeks ago from here in Austin to North Vancouver BC.  Yes, that's a far way...  They are having great adventures in this new city that they are making home and I wanted to send a little early Valentine card along with some other treats.  

I used Papertrey Ink heart dies, a Memory Box branch, a retired Stampin Up nest that I stamped in dark brown and fussy cut and added two Copic coloured tiny hearts in the center to cover up the eggs.  I used the same patterned paper from My Minds Eye "Indie Girl" as in my previous post too!

Thanks for taking a peek today and I hope that you are having a creative one!

Chriss

Another couple of Foxes

Good Morning!  Hope your week-end was grand and you had time to relax and create!

I have been having a lot of fun with this little fox from Hero Arts.  I made a couple of cards for a challenge that a few friends of mine issued.  I was to use blues, a colour that I rarely use and NOT use florals.  This is what I came up with and I really think that this little creature is adorable!  I paper pieced parts of this cute creature, gave him sparkly whiskers and coloured some white Maya Road heart stick pins with my Copic markers.  I made the sentiment on the computer.

Thanks for taking a peek today,

hope you have a great start to your week!

Hugs,

Chriss

My Flourishes/MFW Tuesday Trigger meets City Crafter

I know, long title, but it's for 3 challenges, something I don't often get to say ;)
For today's card, I stamped this new Flourishes rose heart onto Bazzill Sugar Cookie card stock with black PTI ink and coloured with Copic markers.  I cut out and then cut a larger heart from the Sugar Cookie, used a Tim Holtz distressing tool on the edges and adhered together with dimensional foam.  I used a Spellbinders rectangle and cut out this Core'dinations cs and then a scalloped Nestie on the Sugar Cookie cs.  The scalloping reminds me of the scalloped box pictured above for the Moxie Fab World Tuesday Trigger is sitting in!  Stitched these together.  
My card front is the same Core'dinations cs and I used a Sixxix from SU embossing folder.  I used a large EK Success border punch on the Sugar Cookie cs and then stitched X's in between the "flowers" for the City Crafter challenge #41 (Linda has challenged us to sew)  Finally, I added some hardware (as per the Flourishes Timeless Tuesday challenge FTTC102 that Cindy is hosting) and a resin vanilla coloured rose that is newly acquired from Michaels.
That's it.  Three challenges, one card ;)
Thanks for peeking in today,
Chriss

Aqua and red Valentine

Good Monday morning!

Here's another Valentine made with these paper doilies, this time, using one of my favourite colours...aqua.  I know it's not a conventional colour theme for the big V Day, but couldn't resist!  I layered the paper doily onto the same colour card stock as the card base, stamped the Lockhart cupcake in Versamark and embossed with Aqua Zing embossing powder, coloured the cupcake top with aqua Copic and filled in the hearts with a red liquid pearls (those hearts are tiny!).  Cut out and adhered to the paper doily, added the layered SU sentiment and layered a couple of Prima paper flowers with a couple of punched hearts.

I created the side border with some scalloped border punches, lace from Ros and a May Arts polka dotted ribbon from my stash.  Another easy one!

Hope you have a great start to your week.

I have a lot of housework to do and I have to pack up and go to Montreal early next week to see my Mom.  My DD will accompany me and I feel very blessed for that.  Mom is not in good health and I will be there for at least 10 days.

Thanks for visiting,

I will be back later in the week (I hope) with some Moxie Fab challenges that I really want to do...

Chriss  

Classic red/black and white Valentine

Good Saturday afternoon all!  Here's a simple kraft/red, black and white Valentine that I made with thees red Valentine doilies that I got at my grocery store yesterday!  Great detail on them, 20 to a pack from Hallmark, also available in white, a real steal of a deal around $2.00.
Anyway, I used PaperTrey Ink's kraft cs and embossed the front with a Sixxix folder, made some borders from MS punches and some polka dot pattern paper, tied a SU kraft seam binding ribbon around all and then added this SU sentiment and positioned a tiny red heart over the flower in "you".  The little bird is also a MS punch and I used a red Copic on the heart and adhered over the polka dot heart on the heart doily.  How simple is that?
Have a great day,
Chriss

A couple more pink Valentines

Hi there, yes, I am creating with pink, believe it or not!  I find these papers so delightful and easy to work with,  They are the Basic Grey Bittersweet and a new K and CO.

This first card is for a challenge at Card Patterns Sketch, #98.  I love the panels and added simple stitching to them.  The felt hearts are some that I picked up at Michael's and have been having fun with them!  I stamped the Hero Arts "lots of hugs" onto white cs and just cut out and applied to the hearts with glue.  Th flower that I created with started with this MS doily and some PTI and CuttleBug dies.  I added a Jenni Bowlin vintage style button that I got at Ellen's a while ago and filled in the button hole with some tiny dangly cuttings from some lace and then added some MS glitter.  I had also wrapped the bottom striped panel with some MS baker's twine and added a punched out heart.  SIMPLE!  Here is a close-up of the different layers.

The next card  is a just for fun card that I wanted to create movement with the felt hearts.  I used the K and CO papers for the main card front and for the punched out heart that is centered in the middle of the crocheted lace panel.  The little embossed paper heart is a MS and the little floral stick pin is from the same K and CO collection.  Same amount of stamping on this card :)

Thanks for looking and I hope that you are having a safe and warm week!

Cheers!

Chriss

Paper and Lace Pretty in Pink Valentine

Hi there!  Hope everyone had a good start to the week?  I have been busy making some Valentine cards, some for friends, some just because I have all of this cool Valentine "stuff" and I want to make use of it!
I like the way this card came together, my version of Shabby Chic, without the artful distressing and fewer embellishments,  It doesn't even have a stamped image or sentiment on it!
The paper is K & CO, paper doilies from MS, some lacey hearts trim, satin and chiffon ribbon and a stick pin with a heart, also from K & CO.  The flowers are some from the UK that I ordered early LAST year.  It's about time that I start to use them, before I lose them ;)
hugs and cheers,
Chriss

Hopscotch Valentine

Another Hopscotch Valentine!  Love this Basic Grey Hopscotch pad for Valentines cards, yummy colours!
I used another coloured Lockhart cupcake and this time I used Claudine Helmuth multi medium gloss on the pink hearts.  I like this effect as it gives a little dimension to them and they stand out more with the shine.  I used the end of a paper clip to apply the medium.  The punched shape is a SU punch from a while ago.
The border is layered with a wide white ric-rac length, a MS lacy borders punch and a narrow strip of the brown pattern paper.
The sentiment is an older one from SU and I used SU basic brown and added a few pink pearls to frame the hugs & kisses.
Here are a couple of close-ups.
Thanks for stopping by
Hugs,
Chriss

Card Architecture Heart Owls

Good morning!
Here's a little card that I made for Ellen Hutson's "Card Architecture" challenge from the premiere issue of CrEate.
I wanted to use up a length of this pretty May Arts ribbon from my stash and some scraps of various patterned papers to create with this cute Heart Owls stamp from Hero Arts (purchased from Ellen).  I stamped the image in Memento Tuxedo black ink directly onto two different scraps and cut out.  I coloured in the wings, beaks and eyelashes with Spica and Copic markers and added a teeny aqua crystal to her flower on her right ear.  The cute couple was layered onto a label 14 shape of kraft card stock and then layered onto a classic oval nestie shape.  The front polka dot paper is from PTI and I stitched all around with ivory quilting thread.  The right hand edges were made with two border punches and I wrapped the ribbon around and threaded through a large aqua button from my stash and tied a simple bow.  The aqua crystal flourish finishes it off.  I think this could easily serve as a Valentine or Wedding card, what do you think?
  I will be using this template some more this month.  It is a great and simple sketch to work with.  I hope to read all of Ellen's and her contributors' features in this new issue as it seems there is a wealth of information for me to refresh on and implement!
Thanks for taking a peek!
hugs~Chriss

Love Story with a glittery touch!

Happy New Year!


My first card of the year, made this morning from this great sketch for Viva La Verve.
I have had these Heidi Grace patterned papers for about a year now and have been wanting to use them.  I love the colour combo and the combination of the pretty fonts. When I saw the Viva La Verve sketch, I knew that I wanted to finally cut into these papers!
Quite straight forward, stitched around the different patterned paper panels, the frame and sentiment from Verve called, appropriately, Love Story.  I stamped the frame on PTI kraft and cut out, coloured with a Copic marker and added a touch of glitter on the beautiful frame "corners".  The sentiment was stamped on PTI ivory and I used a petite oval Nestie.  The border punch that I used on the front of the kraft card front is a MS.  The inside of the card has a long strip of the far right patterned paper along the bottom edge.  The pretty jewelled piece over the sentiment is a hair barrette that I bought a few weeks ago.  There were an assortment of 12 to a package from a store that I had never been to before, Sam Moon.  An expensive embellishment, but I couldn't resist at the time.  At least I put it to use :)
My goal this year is to participate in challenges, to use a lot of what I have in my stash and to actually get the cards out in the mail for birthdays and holidays.  I am sure that many of us have similar intentions, but I would love to hear what your "crafting resolutions" are this year!
I made this card for the Moxie Fab glitter challenge that is going on until Monday and the Viva La Verve sketch challenge!
Now it's off to continue the tidying and cleaning in the house!   Cheers~ Chriss

Challenged just RITE

Happy Monday everyone! Hope you all had a good weekend and were warm and cozy. It is starting to warm up a little here, and that is a very good thing;)

Here is another sketch challenge, this time from the Caardvarks site AND there is a wonderful JustRite prize associated with winning this one! Oh my, in my dreams...but here is what I came up with.

I used Bazzil and Basic Grey Bittersweet (yes, again) to make a simple, but elegant Valentine/Love/Anniversary card. The colours are soft and the little pink rhinestones add a nice amount of bling, without being too gaudy?

The sentiment is a JR as is the beautiful border. I stamped both of these in close to cocoa craft ink and clear embossed. The scallop in the beige?taupe card stock is a SU border punch and the pink one is a Martha Stewart one.

The little pink hearts are also MS and they took a little time to apply...I first used mini pop dots, but they proved to be too bulky and the hearts were not sitting just right (oops ~ no pun intended! ;) so I carefully removed and used about 1/4 of each pop dot for each heart.

Thanks for peeking in today, I surely do appreciate the visit ,

chriss

Bittersweet Cupcake

Hello again everyone. Hope you are all enjoying your week-end. It has been record cold here in Austin! I am staying inside and keeping warm and crafting a little ;)

This is the latest challenge that I attempted. It is from Taylor VB. I don't have any of Taylor's stamps just yet, but wanted to work with this fab sketch she put out there, so here it is...

I am in the Valentine mode right now and enjoying this same paper pack from last year, Basic Grey's Bittersweet. I love the rich colours and I'm pretty sure that this won't be the last card you will see that I create using this pretty dp. The card base is a textured Bazzil chocolate, layered on top of that is SU Pirouhette Pink, the stripe from Bittersweet and another square of the flourished pattern from Bittersweet. The little cupcake (a new Lockheart that I bought from Ellen Hutson last week) was stamped in SU

basic brown and coloured in with my Copic markers and then I glazed the hearts. Don't know if you can tell from this photo, but they pop out a little.

The cupcake was then placed on a petite scalloped circle and that was placed on a CB heart die shape.

I made the little tag and cut out the stamped SU phrase hugs & kisses and arranged on the tag. I had this length of fine brown twine that I wrapped around the card front before I attached to the card base and tied this teeny-tiny bow, that took a couple of tries :) Thanks for peeking in,

chriss