I think this is my best CIC entry, do you?

This is my last entry for Clearly Inspired Challenge #18 - I think I finally made something within the rules and that I really like!

I stamped the Tree from the Tree-mendous Wishes set.  I stamped the tree with Versamark and then used detail black embossing powder.

The Owl is from the What a Pane set.  I stamped it, colored it with copics and clear embossed it with versamark and clear fine embossing powder.

I used a mask I made with Nestability circles do mask the moon and create the background first with a brayer and Brilliance Black and purple stamp pads.  Then I reverse masked and pounced in the orange full moon.

After all that was done I deckle cut the edges to give it an spookier feel.

Black, Orange and Purple!  Finally I think I got it!
Recipe -
Card size - 5.5 x 4.25 in
Cardstock - Neenah
Stamps - Clear Dollar Stamps
Ink - Versamark, Brilliance
Accessories - Brayer, Black and Clear Embossing powders, Deckle edged cutter.

Challenge try number 2

So I told you the story about my failed challenge attempt - I mean green is neutral right?  So I tried again.

This time I used my "Boo to you" stamp set and the colors of Black, Orange and Purple

I know I got it right this time and I like the card I produced with the set and colors, but that's it I just like it.  Hmmm... I think I will have to have another try.  No one warned me that challenges were addictive!

Recipe
Card size - 4.25 x 5.5 in
Cardstock - Neenah, The Paper Source
Stamps - Clear Dollar Stamps
Ink - Memento

Challenge - Clearly iStamp Clearly Inspired Challenge #18

Sometimes its so simple to say I love you...

Yeah I admit it there is no stamping on this one but when you are on a task to complete 12 cards for your dearly beloved sometimes less is more!  I promise however there is stamping on the next one!

Yup.  That's it Spellbinders Hearts and Scalloped hearts using my Archivers linen open stock red cardstock.  I thought about stamping and adding more and I just thought in this instance less is more.

Recipe
size - 5.5 x 4.25 in
Cardstock - Neenah, Archiver's open stock
Accessories - Spellbinder's Nestabilities

Time to come clean! or Time to celebrate?

This is one of 12 cards I made for my husband for his birthday this year.  Yeah that's right I made him twelve cards.

Now, I'm betting you are wondering why and the reason is that I owe him.  I'm really bad at taking it for granted that he will understand that I didn't get time to make his card.  Everyone else is normally ok its just normally his card so this year I made him 12 to remind him that though I sometimes don't get the card made that he deserves that I do remember that I didn't do it and I do care.

I thought my penance *ahem* theme would be year around.  It just somehow seemed appropriate.  On the inside it reads "Its time to celebrate!"

So I began with time (geddit January? time?) ok I know! You're a tough crowd!  Anyway my DH loves clocks so there is a secondary theme with it.  I've had these Heidi Grace clock face stamps that I picked up on sale ages ago that I have never used (a good run on sentence and rationale to use them!) that I decided to use.  I also broke out my non-sale, new to me, I knew I would need it sometime, number collage embossing folder. *wink wink*

Yeah, its clean and simple, or at least about the only version of CAS I can achieve.

I numbered his envelopes so this was the first card he opened... he knew, that I knew, that he likes clocks so I don't think he cottoned on to the overall theme at that point! 

Alas, time to go.  *GROAN!*

Recipe

size - 5.5in x 4.25in

cardstock - DCWV, Bazzill, Neenah

ink - Memento
color - copics
stamps - Heidi Grace
accessories - cuttlebug embossing folder

I really should have read the rules better!

I rarely if ever decide to do blog challenges but I read one and thought - I think I can do this and use it.  If you have read my ramblings for a while you know I need a muse (and as the band are only available occasionally in my area) and that is the people I create for.  I have to feel it to make a card I just can't follow a sketch and feel happy.  So that said I knew I had a card to make for my mother's birthday and I had a fun color challenge at Clearly I Stamp to play with.

This is what I came up with -

The problem?  There is nothing about green in the challenge - purple, black and if you must orange.  I guess my brain just thought traditional Halloween colors.  I did do another two but I haven't gotten them photographed as yet!  Do you think I should enter it and pray?  Maybe I should just read the rules and see if its one entry per person! LOL

Recipe

Size - 5.5 x 8.5 in

Cardstock - Neenah, The Paper Source, Archiver's open stock

Stamps - Clear Dollar Stamps 

Ink - Memento

Color - Copics

Accessories - Ribbon, Brads, Spellbinders dies

BTW here's the challenge - CIC18 as you can see nowhere does it mention green! LOL!

I have decided to take a hit to the ego! LOL!

I'm just readjusting my blog to make it more friendly and I noticed a counter other than feedjit - thing is it counts views at 512 (and we all know that 510 of those are mine!) whereas my feedjit is around 14,000... so I guess I will humble myself to something more user friendly and although I haven't gotten near 14,000 comments please don't think because you aren't a number to me that you don't count anymore. 

Onwards and upwords at least in the counting department.

I still have oodles of birthday cards to photograph and upload (they are here as they were for my DH) and of course everything I have been working on in between painting bedrooms - 2 down and now we are on the front living room - ceiling done, walls and trim to go!  Take care and enjoy your crafting!

What do Wednesday, Rochdale & Macclesfield have in common?

They are all represented on this card.

So my husband asks me to make a football (soccer to the Americans) card for one of his best friends and this is what I came up with.  I really debated how to do this and thought I really wanted to use my GinaK sets.  The problem was the stripes - Yikes! how was I going to make the stripes?  In the end I went with stamping everything on white and free hand coloring of the shirts.  Luckily (after some investigation) I found out that all the clubs are relatively the same color blue.

Then just when I thought I was done, he asks "can you put our names on them"?  What? what do you mean? OMG? I would have done it different?  Oh I don't want to waste what I have already done!  Don't you know I'm on a time limit here?  So I think for a moment and grab my Just Rite circle stamper and go through my alphabets for the one that is nearest.  Thankfully on a whim I had some white embossing powder.  Versamark and white embossing powder and using my letters half off the block and pressing each down with my fingers achieved the names - so nothing remotely awkward there! *snorts* OH NO!  The white doesn't work with the stripes.  Now what... I think they probably number the striped kits in black so I stamp up and color another striped shirt and try it versamark and black fine embossing powder.  IT WORKED!  HUZZAH!  Then to find the right numbers... where I should have some - too big, too small ooooo these GinaK ones are just right!!! I'm now officially in love with Gina, but don't tell my "I can pull random requests out of the air and my wife will make it" husband.  I outlined the number and letters of the main shirt in gold for that extra punch.  All the shirts stamped and embossed I needed to decide how they were going to be on the "field".  Quickly I grabbed my nestabilities and die cut a double circle out of the middle of a green sheet of 8.5in x 5.5 in cardstock and then cut that in half and spread them out to make the lines.  My husband chose the placement of the shirts (I think he did a pretty good job) and I cut up some chipboard to lift the shirts off the field.  I looked at the card and decided it really did need the football (soccer ball) so quickly stamped on out one and adhered it.

Recipe
Card size - 8.5 in x 5.5 in
Cardstock - Neenah, The Paper Source
Stamps - GinaK (Little Tees, Just So Sporty, Sporty Accessories), Justrite
Ink - Memento, Versamark
Color - Copics
Accessories - white embossing powder, black ultrafine embossing powder, gold pen, chipboard

What the Canadian is this about, eh?

Honestly, for whom do you think this card was created?

I could understand if you immediately said my great friend that moved to Canada last year.

I could understand if you said well someone of Canadian descent.

Or even if you said  - oh you created that for Canadian Thanksgiving.  All quite logical presumptions.  Now the answer is none of the above.  This card was created for my eldest to give to his friend because they have some sort of Canadian joke going.  I didn't actually get an answer as to what the joke or conversation was.  I presume it was one of those you had to be there things eh?

IRL - that ink matched pretty close to the red cardstock.  Honestly - given that I had less than an hour's notice of needing this card and then the ensuing "that's not the Canadian flag discussion" I really think it turned out well.

Recipe

Card size - 8.5 in x 5.5 in

Cardstock - Neenah, Archiver's open stock

Ink - Memento Lady Bug

Stamps - Inkadinkado

Cricut floral bouquet

Boy did I have fun with my cricut making this!  I decided I wanted to make a flower pocket card that was shown on Splitcoaststampers but of course I had to add a twist and make it LARGE because this was for my husband's auntie who turned; oh wait should I say? After all she is a woman, but you know when I get to the grand ol age of 70 I would be proud of the fact.  Oh wait! That said I knew she was celebrating a very special day but I didn't think we had to advertise it any more than being more elaborate for her extra special day.  Now Auntie Jen loves her garden so I already knew I was on a winner with anything floral, but truthfully I wanted it a bit more "special" than a flowerpot.  So I was browsing my Cricut cartridge for flowers and saw the triple vase and thought - oh I can just fold that to make a the bottom and cut another to be the front AND be able to fold the one on the very back to make a stand so the card will stand up on the side with her others and only as a nice vase of flowers should do.  (How's that for a run on sentence?).  Now you know in general I make my cards and especially special occasion cards BIG no petit 4.25 in x 5.5 in card for this project.  No way would that do.  So I played with layouts on design studio and made this baby stand 8.5in high and 5.5 in wide.  What do you think? Too Much? 

Of course in the end I was in a hurry to photograph and mail this overseas so I didn't get a picture of the inside, the side view (of the stand) or the extra embellishments on the back to attempt to make this extra special.  D'oh!

I did however manage to capture the bling of the glitter glue and rhinestones! Hooray!  That bottom pink flower and some leaves as well as the butterfly are actually adhered to the vase portion of the card and the rest at part of the pull.

Now for the second part of this story.  My darling husband travelled t'over pond to visit his family and of course his aunt and just happened to be there when the party was on.  His mother was quite concerned that he didn't have a card on him to give his aunt and he kept assuring her he was certain that we had sent a card and not to worry but of course she did.  They walk into the party and looks across the room and says "There it is mum - the one with the butterfly"... now I don't know if I would have described the card as the one with the butterfly but it did make me laugh that he could identify it by one element.  Men!

Recipe
Card size - 8.5 in x 5.5 in
Cardstock - Recollections, DCWV, Neenah
Ink (not seen) Memento
Stamps (again not seen - YIKES) - Kitchen Sink Stamps
Accessories - Cricut Walk in my Garden, glitter glue, chipboard coasters for dimensionals, rhinestones.

"Two little ducks" "Quack! Quack!"

This is what I sent our nephew.  At larger family gatherings over the holidays our uncle used to play lots of games and one of them was a home bingo set and we would play and laugh loudly.  I don't know how much my nephew remembers about these gatherings because the larger family gatherings in the winter stopped some time ago because of space constraints.  But when this birthday came up I thought I might just remind him of how he used to be a champion at home bingo when he was only a single digit.

I'm now wondering how many people will get the reference and know how old our nephew is?  Should I just tell you or let you guess?  This is a card based on British Bingo calling.  "David's Den, number 10" a reference to the Prime Minister at Downing Street.  "Legs! *catcall* eleven!"  "Two fat ladies.  88".  So given the background do you know how old the recipient of this card is?

Recipe
Card size - 8.5in x 5.5 in
Cardstock - Neenah, Recollections
Stamps - Stampendous
Ink - Memento
Color - permanent markers, American craft white pen
Accessories - duck punch, nestabilities.