Thursday, May 27, 2021

Krafty Chicks Challege #561 - All Occasions

Welcome to another great challenge week from the Krafty Chicks Challenge blog. All Occasions is the theme, so I went with a card of encouragement. We all need a little cheering in our lives and recognition for our endeavours. And people (me included) love to hear that you are proud of them.

Krafty Chicks Challenge #561


With a just a few die cuts, a decorative mask (stencil), some splatters, and an embossed sentiment, I think my friend will love this card. When you have someone in your corner, you are unstoppable.

Supplies I used:

  • Strong And Beautiful stamp set: retired
  • Thick Basic White card stock: 159229
  • Basic Black card stock: 121045
  • Coastal Cabana card stock: 131297
  • Coastal Cabana ink pad: 147097
  • Memento ink pad: 132708
  • VersaMark ink pad: 102283
  • Stampin' Blends, light Pool Party: 154894
  • Stampin' Blends, dark Daffodil Delight: 154883
  • Decorative Mask, Basic Patterns: 150697
  • Blender Brush: 153611
  • Water Painters (splatters): 151298 (not shown)
  • Heat tool: 129053
  • White Embossing Powder: 155554 (part of the Basic bundle)
  • Dandy Wishes Dies: 154315
  • Stitched Shaped Dies (2 circles): retired
  • Stampin' Dimensionals: 104430
  • Multipurpose Liquid Glue: 110755


 To keep things simple, I decorated the inside of the card and the envelope pretty much the same, a little stencil here and a couple of die cuts too. It is faint enough that you could still write over top of the stencilling. I personally will try to keep it within the circle, so a short and sweet message.

I do hope my card inspires you to play in the Hen House from the Krafty Chicks Challenge blog. And upload your project so that we can see what is happening in your craft space. You can also go directly to each Chicks personal blog here:

Leanne's Blog

Nance's Blog

Lori's Blog (off this week)

Kim's Blog (Guest Designer)



Thursday, May 20, 2021

Krafty Chicks Challenge #560 - CAS

 Happy Krafty Chicks Thursday to you! 

Are you ready for this week's challenge?? I'm the hostess so I say it's CAS week, as in Clean And Simple. Here's my card:

Krafty Chicks Challenge #560

I cased this beauty from Karen Hadler. She's a talented Stampin' Up! demonstrator from New Zealand. I had her card saved on my iPad to recreate since December 2018, so it was about time I did. You know you're a paper crafter when there's more pics of cards than people pics. Lol! Last I check I have 825 pictured saved on my iPad, only 82 are family and friends. The rest are sketches, business ideas, but mostly cards to case or use as inspiration.

I started by swiping my ink pad across the panel. Then the flower was easy enough, it's a two-step stamp. I added a sentiment and underlined it with a pattern. A Clean And Simple card has been created!

I kept the inside of the card and the envelope just as Clean And Simple. Used a different flower from the same stamp set. 

Supplies Used:

Art Gallery stamp set: 154421

Very Versailles stamp set: 149275

Thick Basic White card stock: 159229

Soft Sea Foam ink pad: 147102

Garden Green ink pad: 147089

Gorgeous Grape ink pad: 147099

Highland Heather ink pad: 147103

Memento ink pad: 132708

Regal Bundle Markers : 147155 (Garden Green)

Bright Bundle Markers: 147157 (Gorgeous Grape)

Subtle Bundle Markers: 147156


Want some more inspiration?? Go check out the Krafty Chicks Challenge blog to see what the Design Team have created. Hope you play along and upload your project so that we can see what's happening in your craft space.

Here's a direct link to the Design Team's personal blogs:

Leanne's Blog

Nance's Blog

Lori's Blog (off this week)

Kim's Blog (Guest Designer)



Thursday, May 13, 2021

Krafty Chicks Challenge #559 - Christmas

Good day everyone! It's Christmas week for the Krafty Chicks Challenge that starts today. I know, who wants to think Christmas when Spring is here and Summer is just around the corner, I can feel it. But if you think about it and start making the holiday cards along with the Design Team, you'll have 12 ready to go cards. You won't have to rush to create during that busy time of year, just write your message, sign your name and address the envelope. Heck! You can do that now too, just add postage and mail it in December. My point: it's never too early for Christmas!

I picked my stamp set first and had a whole other idea for a card. It's funny how things turned around once I found this DSP (Designer Series Paper). Originally, I was going to use the DSP as a background to a stamped snowman, possibly punched out and stuck onto a rectangle matte. I still might create that card. 

But when I saw this pretty little snowman, already cut and ready to go, it was just waiting to be showcased. I then found a matte in Shaded Spruce. It was too small but when I off-set it, it looked good. Then I added the red/snow strip and it clicked in my head, let's go with this. It looked perfect on the striped matte. I thought of just adhering that to a white card base but that just didn't look finished. You know me and my layers, or more like my aversion to white space. That's when I added the Shaded Spruce panel, that needed snowflakes. Added my sentiment and I was really happy at how it just rolled out! Pretty!

Supplies I used:

  • Snowman Season stamp set: 158341
  • Thick Basic White card stock: 159229
  • Shaded Spruce card stock: 146981
  • Basic Black card stock: 121045
  • Let It Snow! Specialty Designer Series Paper: retired but still well loved
  • Shaded Spruce ink pad: 147088
  • VersaMark: 102283
  • Heat Tool: 129053
  • White Embossing Powder: 155554 (bundled with Black and Clear)
  • Black Stampin' Dimensionals: 150893
  • Paper Snip Scissors: 103579

 
 
Using some of the scraps I had left of the DSP, I kept the decor simple on the inside of the card. A littlefussy cutting of mini trees, a thin strip of Shaded Spruce, and a sentiment. For the envelope, I stamped the snowflakes to coordinate it with the card front. While I looked at some scraps, I noticed that I could paper piece the snowman and hid the cut marks under the scarf. It was a perfect finish!
 

Head on over to the Krafty Chicks Challenge Blog to get more details about the challenge and see more inspiration for Christmas week from the Design Team. There's even a place for you to upload your project at the end. I hope you play along with us and show us what's happening in your craft space.

Here's a direct link to our Design Team's personal blogs:

Leanne's Blog

Nance's Blog

Lori's Blog (off this week)

Kim's Blog (Guest Designer)

 

 


Thursday, May 6, 2021

Krafty Chicks Challenge #558 - Stamp Act

 Welcome May! Here in Alberta, we didn't get much of April showers but I am starting to see the new growth in my flower beds. It's officially Spring in my books! I started some seedlings a few weeks back that are ready for our little greenhouse. I'll be glad to get it off my kitchen table. There's a few more seeds to be planted, like flowers and herbs, and that will be this weekend's project along with planting potatoes, beets and carrots into the garden.

Onto my card for this week's Krafty Chicks Challenge. Stamp Act is almost as easy as Anything Goes, I just had to be sure to stamp something onto my project.


In case you didn't realize this, Stampin' Up!'s new Annual Catalogue 2021-2022 went live this week as well and I wanted to introduce the newest In Colors with this card. To create the stripe background, I first had to make some Stampin' Spots, just add a few drops from the Ink Refills onto uninked spots and voila, you're all set. Then I dragged the each spot down an over-sized panel side by side. I tried not to overlap too much but there's still a few white spots. Adds to the handmade feel! Then I cut it to size and mounted it crooked onto a black panel. 

Here's a secret: my In Color panels was cut just a little bit off, and didn't center nicely on the Basic Black matte. I could have straightened it but that would cut off a lot of the end colours. Solution: off set your panel and matte and no one is the wiser unless you rat yourself out.Tada!! Easy fix!

 

Using the Etched In Nature stamp set, I stamped a butterfly in each colour, put a dimensional on the back and popped it on the card. Add a sentiment and some gems to complete the project. I was going to make this as Thank you cards for my customers but decided that's just too much fussy cutting. I'm a lefty that has a hard time finding great comfortable scissors, so I limit how much I fussy cut.


 

I used the cut off strips from my panel to the inside of the card and the envelope. Why throw that loveliness away?? Ties it all together. Add a few more stamped butterflies and it's that simple to finish off your card and envelope.

Supplies I used:

  • Etched In Nature stamp set: 155463
  • Thick Basic White card stock: 159229
  • Basic Black card stock: 121045
  • Uninked Stampin' Spots: 141822
  • Polished Pink  Classic Stampin' Ink Refills: 155713
  • Pale Papaya  Classic Stampin' Ink Refills: 155671
  • Fresh Fresia Classic Stampin' Ink Refills: 155612
  • Soft Succulent  Classic Stampin' Ink Refills: 155779
  • Evening Evergreen  Classic Stampin' Ink Refills: 155577
  • Heat Tool: 129053
  • White Embossing Powder: 155554 (now part of a Basic set with black and clear)
  • Lovely Labels Pick A Punch: 152883
  • 2021-2023 In Color Jewels: 155571
  • Stampin' Dimensionals: 104430
  • Paper Snips Scissors: 103579

Need more inspiration for the Stamp Act challenge, hop on over to the Krafty Chicks Challenge Blog, get more details and upload your creation. You can also visit the personal blogs of our wonderful Design Team.

Leanne's Blog

Nance's Blog

Lori's Blog (off this week)

Kim's Blog


 


Thursday, April 29, 2021

Krafty Chicks Challenge #557- Anything Goes

 Can you believe April is almost over?? It’s getting nicer out and we’ve started working in our garden. It’s all tilled up and hubby planted his onions already. My seedlings are growing at a faster rate with the extra daylight hours, I’ve already transplanted them into bigger pots. And I’m just itching to get out to the nurseries for some pretty flowers.

It’s Krafty Chicks Challenge Thursday today, so here’s my card.

My grandson was over for a sleep over this past weekend. I usually spend all my time with them when they are visiting; no cleaning, no chores, and I don’t usually make cards unless I involve them in some way. And since I needed a card, I asked Kenley to first find me a stamp set: Garden Wishes. Then by looking at the stamps, pick one or two colours: Blue and Yellow. He's good at this!


I let him stamp the image and then colour it. (He is at the age of not posing for the camera anymore and loves making funny faces. Best pic I could get!) Once he was done colouring, which I touched up a bit, we used my Big Shot to die cut the dandelions. Both my grandkids love playing with the Big Shot. We also cut a couple of sizes of Stitched Rectangles and Nested Labels before settling on this layout.


 For the sentiment, I introduced Kenley to the Heat Tool and Embossing powder.  Although he looks bored in this pic, he was quite impressed when the powder changed into a glossy sentiment. My feelings exactly every time I play with embossing powders. I did the fussy cutting though and by that time he was actually tired of crafting but I think he wanted to get back to his electronics game.


So I finished the card by first adding fun tone-on-tone water colouring on the Coastal Cabana panel, it was too faint and didn't have the effect I was looking for. So in comes the mask and the Blending Brush. That's it! That's what it needed!


As no card would be complete without finishing the inside and decorating the envelope, I stamped and coloured the dandelion image and stenciled on the flap and corner of the envelope and on the edge of the card.


Supplies I used:

  • Garden Wishes stamp set: 154408
  • Thick Basic White card stock: 159229
  • Coastal Cabana card stock: 131297
  • Bermuda Bay card stock: 131197
  • Basic Black card stock: 121045
  • Crumb Cake ink pad: 147116
  • VersaMark ink pad: 102283
  • Watercolor Pencils: 141709
  • Water Color Pencils Assortment 2: 149014
  • Water Painters: 151298
  • Heat Tool: 129053
  • White Embossing Powder: 109132 (product will be retiring as an individual item but return in the new Annual catalogue as a bundled product with other colours on May 4th.)
  • Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine: 149653
  • Stitched Rectangle Dies: 151820
  • Stitched Nested Labels Dies: 149638 (Retiring product, discounted 20% until May 3 or while quantities last.)
  • Dandy Wishes Dies: 154315
  • Retired Masks (stencil)
  • Blending Brush: 153611
  • Stampin' Dimensionals: 104430

I had fun crafting with my grandson. Hope we have more session in the future before he really gets too old to spend time with his Grandma.

 Head on over to the Krafty Chicks Challenge Blog for more details, more inspiration and link up your project for this week's Anything Goes Challenge. I also encourage you to visit the Design Team's personal blogs and see what going on in their craft space.

Leanne's Blog

Lori's Blog

Nance's Blog

Melanie's Blog (Guest Designer)



Thursday, April 22, 2021

Krafty Chicks Challenge #556 - All Occasions

 I have some very exciting news. My co-worker had his BABY this week, only a week late. A handsome and healthy baby boy! Despite the three ultrasounds claiming it was a girl. Yeah, surprise to everyone. I got to hold the wee thing a couple of days later. Such a sweet one! Didn't make a sound and he was quite alert.

Perfect time to make a baby card and it coincides with All Occasions week over on the Krafty Chicks Challenge Blog.


This time I turned to December's Paper Pumpkin "Beary Comforting" kit to create the card. I added a Basic Black matte, a few gems, a puffed heart sticker, and stamped the sentiment using the Well Said retiring stamp set. I also used the provided decorated envelope.



This card was also created with the same kit. Again added the Basic Black matte, the punched hearts and the banner strip behind the sentiment. Everything else was from the kit.


What is Paper Pumpkin?? Paper Pumpkin is Stampin' Up!'s monthly one-stop box that offers a unique variety of paper projects for subscribers of any skill level to enjoy. These thoughtfully-themed and all-inclusive craft kits encourage Stampin' Up! users to explore their creativity, try new techniques, and discover their potential in paper crafting.

With Paper Pumpkin, you'll save time and money while you build a collection of crafting supplies. Every month you'll receive a unique stamp set with an ink spot (that won't repeat a colour in a 12 month period). In no time at all you'll have a variety of of stamps and inks to use on other projects.

Interested in subscribing, follow this link:

https://www.paperpumpkin.com/en-ca/sign-up/?demoid=2042209


Now head on over to the Hen House at Krafty Chicks Challenge Blog for more details on this week's challenge and to see what the other Chicks have created for you. And please link up your project so that we can see what you have created in your craft space.

You can also visit each Chicks personal blog to see what they have been up to.

Leanne's Blog

Lori's Blog

Nance's Blog

Melanie's Blog (Guest Designer) 


 

Thursday, April 15, 2021

Krafty Chicks Challenge #555 CAS

Today we start a new challenge over at Krafty Chicks Challenge. We are sharing projects that are CAS, Clean And Simple. 

KRAFTY CHICKS CHALLENGE #555

I've been playing with my soon-to-be-retiring stamp sets, trying to show them some love. There's a few sets that haven't even seen the light, while others like this one have gotten some use, although it has been a while. I'll admit: I get distracted easy with the new toys. Good Morning Magnolia, fare thee well.

I tried going for the No-Line colouring look but I needed to stamp off more than once so that the image would just be a faint outline. I stamped my image in Crumb Cake ink and then traced it using my Watercolor Pencils, first pressing firmly, then lightly where shadows would be. Then using a Blender Pen, I went over the inside of my outline and pulled the colour towards the center for the leaves. I heat embossed the sentiment and fussy cut around the shape. I really love this look. Popped that up and tucked in a bit of copper thread. I added splatters because I thought there was too much white space, I has issues with that but am getting better. I even inked up the edges for a vintage feel, not shown in picture was the sponge daubers.


I repeated the process for the inside of the card, which was really my first attempt. I have well juiced ink pads and forgot to stamp off so it was really dark. It's not a bad look, just not what I was going for. I couldn't do my usual decorating of the envelope since I didn't use any DSP, so I went with stamping the image in the corner for the front and centered for the flap and splatters to coordinate it with the card.

List of products used:

  • Good Morning Magnolia stamp set: 149298 (Retiring May 3 or while supplies last)
  • Crumb Cake card stock: 120953
  • Petal Pink card stock: 146985
  • Very Vanilla card stock: 101650
  • Basic Black card stock: 121045
  • Crumb Cake ink pad:147116
  • Watercolor Pencils: 141709
  • Watercolor Pencils Assortment 2: 149014
  • Blender Pen: 102845
  • Sponge Daubers: 133773
  • VersaMark: 102283
  • White Embossing Powder: 109132 (sold individually until supplies last, then in a bundle)
  • Heat Tool: 129053
  • Paper Snips: 103579
  • Retired Copper Thread
  • Flicking Brush for splatters
  • Stampin' Dimensionals: 104430

I really enjoy playing with this stamp set, I haven't decided yet if it will make it to the KEEP pile or the FOR SALE pile .I love the big magnolia image and the font used for the sentiments. For now it's a keeper until May 3.

Head on over to the Krafty Chicks Challenge Blog to get more details and inspiration for  this week's CAS challenge. There's a place for you to link up your projects at the end. I do hope you play along with us.

You can also get more details on each Design Team member's cards on their personal blogs:

Leanne's Blog

Lori's Blog

Nance's Blog

Melanie's Blog (Guest Designer)