DCWV Monthly Card Sketch Challenge

This month's card sketch is:

 

So I quickly grabbed my "Wild Splendor" and made this!

 

I am so in love with this collection!

The fall colors are perfect and the gold foil and gold/bronze sparkle is

just enough...

 

 

Depending on the light reflection, the leaves actually DO turn just just as they do IRL!

Truly "beautiful"!

 

Enter your own project at

DCWV Diary

for a chance to win some terrific paper!

 



A Peek Through Poe's Window...

Perhaps it's just the dark side of me, but I love Edgar Allen Poe's works.

I have since I was a young reader.  I remember sneaking a flashlight into bed to lay under the covers and read until late into the night.

With the release of this new Stampendous stamp,
I was thrilled!

Presenting: 

 "Nevermore"

The heat embossing brings out every tiny detail in this image.

Fortunately, Stampendous makes the BEST Detail Black Embossing Powder!

Once I stamped, embossed, burned the edges, and matted this image, it just looked so much as though I were peering through a window...

Poe's window perhaps...

And with the addition of the "lace curtains", it becomes even more so.

What sends a "Halloween" message better than that?

This is one of those cards I may have to keep for myself.

Just sayin'.

We're in the fourth day of  showing off new products from Stampendous! I hope you have enjoyed what you have seen so far!
Not only do some of the team members have their own blog candy, Stampendous will again be drawing a winner for this great prize pack.

How do you win it? It's easy! One of the featured bloggers today will be choosing a random commenter from her blog, and that lucky person will be announced on the Stampendous blog tomorrow. The more places you leave a comment, the better your chances are to win! Below is the list of team members who are sharing inspiration today:

Stampendous Impressions
Jennifer Ingle
Kristine Reynolds
Jennifer Dove 
Lynn Mercurio
Taylor Usry (has additional blog candy)
Jan Garber
Susie Moore
Lea Kimmel
Wendy Price
Janelle Stollfus

Suzanne Czosek 
Tenia Nelson

Leave a comment!

You never knwo who the featured Design Tem member will be for today!

Holiday Flourishes!

There's a new Christmas challenge at Flourishes!

The challenge is to make your card round like a wreath!

Cute idea, eh?

My Flourishes "Medallion" stamp

worked perfectly for this challenge! 

I love the romantic, detailed look of the design.

Heat embossing it in black made it really POP off the blue!

The gold tulle bow is much softer and less bulky than it looks in the picture.

The little center glass piece is one that I found at Michael's in the Dollar Bin.  It had a magnet attached to the back, but that peeled off easily!

The real bonus was the matching rub-ons!

So, I decided to finish the inside of the card by stamping the music again

and adding the vintage phonograph rub-on.

Supplies Used:

Cardstock:  Bazzill Shimmer Blue

Stamps: Flourishes "Medallion"; Hampton Art, "PS0576" (Cosmo Cricket)

Die Cut: Cricut, "Art Philosophy" cartridge

Rub-Ons;  Michael's, "Vintage Finds"

Adhesive: Helmar's 450

Having a great Monday, with the weather in the 70's and sun shining all day!

Gotta love these Arizona Fall days!

Yee-Haw, Cowboy!

This next Thursday is my husband's birthday.  Yea, another one!  At our age, they seem to roll around more often than every twleve months! Of course, my advantage is that he'll always be so much older!  LOL! 
Being a cowboy at heart, I know he always appreciates anything with a western flair!  When I get a few moments, I will post the little wedding album I finally put together from our small, fairly private ceremony 9 years ago. The few pictures that were taken were saved onto a slide show on disc and I never found out how to pull them off, or if you even can! So, the ones I did salvage were those taken with a second camera and not the best quality...but, I digress...
Here is the card I made for the DH, taking my inspiration from the sketch this week at Waltzing Mouse!  I am determined to win a stamp set because my wish list grows increasingly longer!!!

  First, the wonderful sketch....

My card:

Someone recently asked on the Waltzing Mouse FB page if others prefer taking pictures of just their card alone, or adding a prop of some sort...well, as you can see, I enjoy adding a bit of personality to my posts on occasion! 
Not always, sometimes the card is quite enough.

     For this card, I used some old denim I had saved from a pair of capris that no longer fit. I cut out and sewed the edges of a pocket.  Then added the tops from thumb tacks for the grommets. The little silver concho has been in my stash forever! And the last time I used jute on a card as rope, my husband loved it.

Wierd colors because the ink on the large tag matches the denim perfectly! Funny how the lights and camera can make them look so odd!  I also hand cut the big tag, but am due to pick up my new Nestie Labels 18 die next week!!!  Yea!!! 

I absolutely LOVE the way these labels are made to work with

Spellbinders so perfectly!

Inside of card:

Since he leaves on the morning OF his birthday for a 4 day historical rendevous in Williams, Arizona, I will put together a "goodie basket" for him to take along.  I know what treats he likes to eat while he's out and away. (All the ones we normally don't keep here at the house due to the poor nutritional value!  LOL!)

Products used:

Dies:  Spellbinders Nesties, Labels 4

Stamps: Waltzing Mouse; Vintage Labels 4, Vintage Labels 18, and Rescue Remedies Additions.

Inside sentiment: Fiskars; "Make a Wish Quotes".

Entered, of course, at the challenge at:

Waltzing Mouse!

Enjoy!

I will make this brief. I had a crown pop off my molar this weekend and had to go get it temporarily "glued" back in this morning.... my jaw is a bit sore.  I go back Thursday for my new bridgework...fun.
This is the sketch from Skipping Stones that prompted this card:

And my take, including the NEWSPAPER and COLOR challenges below:

I love the way the thick, textured yarn and the BOLD, heat embossed Tim Holtz sentiment looks against the delicate Skipping Stones butterfly stamps!

Ok, 'nuff said...my tummy's not feeling the best!  Better try and eat something.

Supplies:
Paper: Scenic Route; Stamps, Skipping Stones and Tim Holtz; Stock yarns and ribbon; Helmar 450 adhesive.

Challenges:
Skipping Stones Design (Sketch #65)
Embellish! (Color)
Simon Says Stamps (Newpaper pattern)

Thanks for looking and have a great week! 

A beacon of comfort...

     That's what a very close, dear friend of mine offered up even if she wasn't completely aware of how huge her generosity was!  When the temperature here in Phoenix hit 118, she insisted I fly out to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin for a visit.  She and her husband have semi-retired there from St. Louis and have an absolutely beautiful home only a few miles from Lake Michigan on the East, and not much further from the Green Bay on the West, in scenic Door County.   It was a comfortable 75-80 degrees and breezy the whole time I was there. It was lighthouse and winery tours, visiting big boats, and lounging on a beach that was almost our own private little oasis.
     So, when I returned home and saw that the challenge for "Embellish It" was Nautical and had the perfect colors, I knew I needed to get right on that Thank You card!

Here's a peek....

I cut a small window out of the front and framed it in this adorable Click-Art life preserver.  Then I stamped the lighthouse image onto the inside of the card.  I had completely forgotten that I had purchased this Stampin' Up set at a yard sale while visiting another good friend in Tucson recently.

The background paper was run through my crimper and inked to resemble a weathered, tin wall.  I love the texture of it IRL. 

The cute little heat embossed anchor is one of the MANY Snag 'Em stamps I've acquired, not sure how or when I would ever use them.

I was so thrilled to see so many various kinds of lighthouses and get the chance to see a part of America that I've never ventured to before.  It is my hope that my gratitude shows in this card.

Inside sentiment:

Sorry about the poor quality of the photos, but I realize now how difficult it is to photograph a card that has a cut-out opening and still make it stand level and upright. I assure you that it is...LOL. 

Skipping Stones Design sketch used:

The stamp from Skipping Stones was the simple little "Thank You" on the front. It was important to find just the right sentiment, and this one seemed to fit the bill! 

All I had to do was bend it a bit to accent the curve!

Supplies:

Tools:  Fiskars crimper; Creative Memories Circle Cutter, Marvy Heat Tool

Click-Art Life Preserver Image;  Lighthouse stamp and sentiment, "Stampin' Up;

"Thank You" sentiment, Skipping Stones Designs, "Birthday Purses";

White cord, Hancock Fabrics; Helmar 450 Adhesive

Entered into challenges at:

Embellish It, Nautical/Color Trends Challenge

Skipping Stones, Sketch Challenge 

The Crazy Challenge, "Summer" theme

Simon Says, "Anything Goes"

Say Happy Father's Day with Tim Holtz!

I just loved that the challenge this week at Simon Says Stamps was to make a "Masculine" card and if you have 'em, use Tim's products! Well, I have a few of those that have been needing some love for a while!  

So, it was a no-brainer to use Tim's  "Journey" stamp set, and pair it with this terrific paper bit I had left from a Graphic 45 pack!    And one of the products I'd had for a long time, but never used was the idea-ology Mask image, Time Works.  It worked SO well. I love the way they barely stick to your project, but manage to keep out all the spray mist.  I chose the clock face image to add a little dimension to my pattern paper.


  I also used a key and some hinges from Tim's Grungeboard, Elements. This stuff literally absorbs the ink so well, and in this case, the embossing ink. All I had to do was ink the pieces with Black pigment ink, apply the embossing ink, and clear powder. They now have the appearance of actual metal.  I love it!

Last, but not least, I stopped thinking that a card for a holiday had to be the typical one with the greeting clearly on the front.  This card IS for my Dad, and it IS for Father's Day, but I prefer to write my own personal message on the inside. I'm pretty sure he'll know what day it is!!!! LOL!

The tag on the card reads, CG 1. (The key chain salvaged from a kitchen drawer, managed to hang directly over the number 1 in every picture I took!)  Meant to replicate the letters and number on a license plate, these are my dad's initials and I DO feel that he's #1!

Inside of card:

Paper:  Graphic 45, Curtain Call
Embellies: Tim Holtz, idea-ology Grungeboard and Mask
Embossing Ink and powder: Stampendous
Adhesive: Helmar 450


Also, timing was perfect to enter this in the challenge at:
Easy Craft Projects (Father's day)
Woodware USA (Masculine and a GDT call!)
The Crazy Challenge (Father's Day)

Movie Magic

I couldn't wait to use my new Graphics45 papers I recently received from a dear friend, plus I have so many older papers that I have been wanting to start utilizing on my cards and layouts.
I started matching up old with new, this with that, and decided that of few pieces of my Basic Grey (Black Tie and Eskimo Kisses!) went perfectly with the new G45 Curtain Call! 
I love the pop of "wine" color with the black and white!

The little gal was "fussy cut" from DCWV's "Lady Couture",

and the "movie reels" are Tim Holtz.

I just love the vintage Hollywood feel of this card.

I stuck to my New Year's resolution, and finished off the inside with a simple bow and bling.

Supplies:
Graphics45; Curtain Call
Basic Grey; Black Tie, Eskimo Kisses
Basic Grey; Bling Diamonds and Copella Brads
Tim Holtz; Sprockets
DCWV; Lady Couture
Zva; Diamond swirl
Stash ribbon
Helmar 450 Adhesive
Momento inks

And in true Hollywood fashion, "Kiss- kiss, Darling".

Entered in challenge:
Basic Grey Challenge, Mix and Match