Favourite Pet

I recently discovered a new challenge called As You Like It.  Their current challenge is Favourite Pet (and why).  Dogs are absolutely my favourite.  I've had them my whole life.  They are wonderful companions, they get me out walking every day (great for exercise and for meeting neighbours), they give unconditional love and loyalty, and they lower stress.  I currently have two dogs - a 10 year old English Cocker Spaniel, Tessa, and an 11 month old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Pippin.  Here's a recent photo of them sitting by the baskets where their leashes and harnesses are kept waiting to go out for a walk.

Here's my card, featuring a dog very similar to Tessa:

It's a really old stamp that I've had for years. It's coloured with coloured pencils blended with Gamsol to get nice shading on the dog (the bells are coloured with a silver metallic pencil). I trimmed it with a fancy label die and then sponged around the edges with Antique Linen - except it came out grey as the sponge I used was dirty! I popped it up on fun foam. I'm also linking it up with Inkspirational "Christmas in July", Rudolph Days (anything Christmas), and Neglected Stuff (I used a very old stamp).

Supplies:
Stamps - Creative Images
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black, Distress Antique Linen
Paper - off white paper
Size - A2
Accessories - coloured pencils, silver metallic pencil, Gamsol, Sizzix label die, fun foam

Three Square Cards

My computer died last Thursday so had to get a new one.  So I'm very last minute getting a bunch of cards posted for challenges that are about to end.  

We Love Stamping wants to see wildlife - I went with a bear.  Addicted to CAS wants stripes - my bear has a lovely striped scarf.  And Time Out Challenge wants a clear element on the card - I used Glossy Accents which dries clear.

I stamped and coloured the bear and the oval of ice. Added the sentiment and trimmed with a square die. Popped it up on fun foam on a blue glitter card base. And then painted Crystal Glaze over the oval of ice.

Sparkles Christmas Challenge wants snowmen.  Christmas Cards All Year Round wants something that starts with E or F.  I went with F - my card has friends having fun together.  And Jingle Belles want something whimsical - I think it's pretty whimsical to have all those critters building a snowman.

Stamped and watercoloured, trimmed with a square die, bordered with a green square, and a sentiment stamped in red and trimmed with a small label die with the red ink rubbed around the edges.

AAA Birthday wants a birthday card with die cuts.

For the background, I used the Watercolor Imprint technique, following the instructions in this tutorial.  I used Distress Oxide inks.

Then die cut the birds on a branch out of off-white cs and tan cs, very slightly offsetting them when I glued them together so that there's a slight tan shadow. Stamped the sentiment (a belated birthday sentiment) in Brushed Corduroy and die cut it with a banner die.

      

    

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - unknown bear, Penny Black sentiment
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - blue glitter cs, white cs
Size - 5.25" square
Accessories - coloured pencils, fun foam, Nuvo Crystal Glaze, Spellbinders square die

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Anita Jeram (Colorado Craft Co), Impression Obsession sentiment
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black, SU Real Red
Paper - watercolour paper, off white and green cs
Size - 5.25" square
Accessories - watercolour paints, small label die

Supplies for card 3:
Stamps - unknown sentiment
Ink - Distress Oxide Brushed Corduroy, Blueprint Sketch, Mowed Lawn 
Paper - watercolour paper, off white and tan cs
Size - 5.25" square
Accessories - sentiment banner die, Rubbernecker leaf stencil, unknown bird die

Santa on the Roof and Snowman with Dog

Two mini slimline cards today, both on coloured cardbases.  I enjoy making Christmas cards between Christmas and New Year as I'm still feeling in the Christmas mood and I always have lots of free time.  

So here's one for Christmas Cards All Year Round "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and Double D "Santa and / or Snowman".  And for the NBUS Challenge (I've never inked up this stamp before and I've had it for quite a while).  I'm also entering it in : Sweet Stampin' "Christmas", The Twelve Months of Christmas "Anything Goes Christmas", and The Christmas Kickstart Challenge "If It's Christmassy, Link It Up".

I used a Tim Holtz stamp I've had for ages and never inked up. Simply stamped and watercoloured and mounted on a blue shimmer card base.

For the Penny Black Saturday Challenge "Snow or Snowmen", I got out a Penny Black stamp I haven't used for ages.  It's also for Cardz4Guyz "Christmas Critters".

Stamped, coloured with coloured pencils, trimmed and added to a tan card base, and embellished with a Gelly Roll Stardust pen on the snowflakes.

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Tim Holtz
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - watercolour paper, blue shimmer cs
Size - 6x3.25"
Accessories - watercolour paints

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Penny Black
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - off white and tan cs
Size - 6x3.25"
Accessories - coloured pencils, Gelly Roll Stardust pen

Embossing with Dies

The Group of Seven Cardmakers has changed its name to the Group of Cardmakers.  We're still doing the same thing - trying different techniques and products.  This month we're embossing with dies.  

My first two cards use the embossed die cut as a background pattern or almost a shadow for the actual die cut.

For this one I smooshed the actual die cut in green ink and then slightly offset it over the embossed die, making the embossed one appear to be a shadow.  I used red liquid pearls to create the berries and added a matching green sentiment.  The shape of the die made it ideal for a mini slimline card.

 

 

I went with a white-on-white look for this second one.  I trimmed the embossed die panel with a deckle die and added a sentiment in grey.  I die cut the mistletoe twice and glued them together for more dimension.  Then glued it over the background with it very much offset from the embossed pattern.  I finished off with using white liquid pearls for the berries.

 

This third card uses an embossed die to frame the image.  This is a great use for dies - I must remember to do it more often.

 

I stamped and coloured (with coloured pencils) the dog, then fussy cut it.  On my focal panel, I embossed with a postage stamp die and glued the dog's feet onto it and popped up his body and head with dimensionals.   I sketched a few lines under him to ground him.

 

Head over to Group of Cardmakers for some more ideas on embossing with dies and get more out of your supplies!

 

I'm linking up the third card with Sweet Stampin' "Animals" and Simply Clean and Simple "Cute Animals"

   
 

 

 

 

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Make an Impression sentiment
Ink - Distress Bundled Sage
Paper - white cs
Size - 6x3.25"
Accessories - unknown berry die, red liquid pearls

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Penny Black sentiment
Ink - Versafine Smokey Grey
Paper - white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - unknown mistletoe die, Spellbinders deckle edge die, white liquid pearls

Supplies for card 3:
Stamps - Colorado Craft Co. (Anita Jeram)
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - coloured pencils, PB postage stamp die, dimensionals, tiny sentiment label die

A Sympathy Card with a Horse and a Dog Sympathy Card

The Cut It Up challenge wants to see die cuts of critters.  I still had this horse die out on my desk as I made a card from it a few weeks ago but this time I gave it a very different treatment.

My sister asked me to make a sympathy card for her riding coach whose father suddenly passed away. She wanted a horse on it. So I thought I could make a night sky to go with the sentiment I used as it talks about stars. I created the sky by smooshing with dark blue Distress inks. Then stamped the sentiment over it in black. I layered the die cut over it, popped it up on fun foam, and added some die cut gold stars.

My other card today is for Try It On Tuesday "Add Some Text". 

I stamped and fussy cut the dog. The sentiment is stamped and cut with a narrow rectangle die, and then sponged around the edge. I created a background with a mixture of stencilling, text stamping, watercolouring, and sponging.

   

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Stampotique sentiment
Ink - various dark blue Distress inks, Versafine Clair Nocturne
Paper - white and gold cs
Size - 4.75" square
Accessories - small star dies, Starlit Studio horse die, fun foam

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Technique Junkies dog, SU sentiment, Kaiser Craft script
Ink - Distress Tea Dye, Memento Rich Cocoa
Paper - cream cs
Size - A2
Accessories - TCW stencil, watercolours, sentiment rectangle die, dimensionals

Sympathy Card Using Generation Stamping with a Very Old Stamp

I'm part of the Group of Seven design team but shamefully failed to get my card done in time for their newest post.  I do have a good excuse - my sister and brother-in-law were visiting and we did a lot of work around my house and garden.  I had to make the most of the help while I had it.  My wonderful brother-in-law is the ultimate handyman and excellent gardener, and my sister is an amazing organizer and de-clutterer (though she refused to help me organize my craft room.

They've left now so I have crafty time again.  Sadly my dear friends just had to let their very old beloved black lab go so I decided to use this month's Group of Seven technique of "generation stamping" to make a sympathy card for them.

I created a background with the letterpress technique of rubbing black ink over the raised part of the paw print embossing folder and then running it through my Cuttlebug.

The focal panel is the dog stamp inked up once and then stamped three times in a row going off the edge of the panel as if it was the dog gently fading out of life.

I'm also adding the card to Stamping Sensations "Our Furry Friends", Can You Handle the Pressure? (Dog or Cat - I used my embossing folder for the letterpress technique), and The Neglected Stuff Challenge (this Stampin' Up set is many years old and I rarely use it).

For more ideas on using the generation stamping technique, head over to Group of Seven and feel free to give it a try and post your results.

   

 

Supplies:
Stamps - Stampin' Up
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black, Distress Black Soot
Paper - white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - unknown paw print embossing folder

Recycled Dog, Grateful Horse, and Die Cut Swag

The Paper Players challenge is to recycle something on our cards.  As a dog lover, I often receive store-bought cards with dogs on them.  I received one on my last birthday with a beautiful black lab on it.  Good friends of mine have a black lab so I decided to recycle the lab to make a Christmas card for them.  

I have some old double-sided stick-on flourishes.  I arranged them in the corners of the card and added multi-coloured glitter to them.  Finished off with a die cut sentiment "joyful" - exactly how I would describe my friends' lab!

Cardz 4 Guyz wants to see a masculine card in blue.

I sponged a background with various blue Distress inks and layered my die cut over it, popping the body of the horse up a bit with foam tape. The whole panel is popped up on the card base with fun foam.

And a "threefer" today.  52 Christmas Card Throwdown wants us to use dies or punches.  I made a card with lots of greenery die cuts that I cut out of small scraps of various green cs - therefore I'm also entering it at the Snippets challenge.  And linking up with Cut It Up - anything goes with die cuts.

I die cut several different pieces of greenery out of various scraps of green cs.  I splattered them with white acrylic paint and arranged them on white cs dry embossed with a pine sprig embossing folder.  I wrapped bakers twine around my focal panel and made a bow from it.  The sentiment is stamped and die cut with a narrow banner die.

    

  

Supplies for card 1:
Paper - white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - dog off of a store bought card, double-sided stick-on flourishes, multi-coloured glitter

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Memory Box sentiment
Ink - various Distress blue inks
Paper - white cs
Size - 4.75" square
Accessories - StarLit Studio Horse Country die, fun foam, foam tape

Supplies for card 3:
Stamps - unknown sentiment
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper - white cs, scraps of different green cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Sizzix embossing folder, TH greenery dies, sentiment label die, red/white baker's twine, white acrylic paint

Cosy Fireplace and Delphinium Thank You

The Jingle Belles challenge has a photo to inspire us.  I was inspired by the fireplace and by the red and blue stockings hanging from the mantelpiece.  My Time to Craft Christmas wants a rectangle-shaped card.  And Sparkles Christmas Challenge wants to see something "Warm and Cosy".  Nothing like being in front of a warm fire at Christmas time!

I stamped the image, coloured it with coloured pencils blended with Gamsol (using only blue and red for the stockings to go with the image), stamped the sentiment in red, and bordered it with a blue polka dot dp.  I added Fun Flock to the pompoms and brims of the cat's and dog's hats, and added Glossy Accents to the berries and to the candle flames.

Today's twofer - a quick thank you card for Sweet Stampin's "Thank You Card" challenge.

I blended a background using three Distress inks. Dried it with my heat tool a bit and then heat embossed the delphiniums in white. I popped it up on fun foam on a black cs layer, added a white embossed sentiment on a black banner, and embellished with some sequins.

 

 

 

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Penny Black image, unknown sentiment
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black, SU Real Red
Paper - white cs, blue polka dot dp
Size - A2
Accessories - coloured pencils, Gamsol, Fun Flock, Glossy Accents

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Magenta delphiniums, Savvy Stamps sentiment
Ink - Distress Faded Jeans, Dusty Concord, and Seedless Preserves; ColorBox white
Paper - white and black cs
Size - A2
Accessories - white embossing powder, sequins, fun foam