Christmas in August!!

Is it really only August??  I felt a little Christmas vibe coming on!  Mostly I bet because of a fun new Challenge at

"Christmas Cards All Year 'Round"

The August Challenge is use yellow!  My favorite motif is pears, don't know why but I love coloring them and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to make a Summer quickie for Christmas!

I love the back almost as much as the front!!

Have a wonderful day, & don't forget to stop by Christmas Cards All Year 'Round to check out the other entries and maybe enter you own creation!!  Hope to see you there

Stripes!! Fun with Linear Stamps and Oxide Inks!

Oooooooh!!!  I am so excited to share this post!!  I have a love for borders and border stamping!  Inspired by a note pad that had stripes on it I decided to experiment with Tim Holtz's new Distress Oxide Inks and some linear stamps I found:



This was so rewarding!!  I'll let the pictures tell most of the story and although the results (by my standards!) are AMAZING these card backgrounds were pretty simple to pull off :)

I started with regular black or white cardstock from Stampin' Up! and painters tape because it sticks dependably yet still comes off without harming the paper. 

Once I felt I had as much variation as wanted . . . .

. . . time for the big reveal!!

Oh my Gosh!!  I think that they are great as is!!  These colors are GORGEOUS!

I stamped each series of lines separately so that I could emboss them in as many colors as I wanted!!  This was a great time to experiment with all those wonderful powders <3  I've decided I can't possibly have enough of these card backs on hand!!!  So many combinations and so little time!!

Then it was time to play around with inlays. My real motivation for doing the inlays was my reluctance to cover any part of that beautiful background!!  If I cut out the part I was going to cover anyway I could then use it elsewhere!!!  I will do a second posting that links back to this with the finished results.  I have some fun ideas and I can hardly wait to try them and share them.  Happy stamping to you my friends <3

Fun with Newton's Nook Digis!

Inspiration for this Thank You Card came from the current

Newton's Nook Designs Stamp Challenge!! 

Called

The Inky Paws Challenge! 

Black & White, Teal & Pink.

I was excited to give this a try and here are the results!  The Digis I used were

FREE AT NEWTON'S NOOK DESIGNS!!!!

Lots of fun to build cards based on a random inspiration ~ I hope you'll visit and enjoy all of the great entries and share yours while there :)

I used the digis printed on vellum immediately sprinkling embossing powder over the image before it could dry out. 

 

I used TH Oxide inks for the stripes and gel pen coloring on the vellum.

Fun and colorful!!


Looking for more fun challenges??
I've also entered this card in:
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge
Word Art Wednesday Challenge
The Artistic Stampers Challenge
MHK Designs: Challenge

PIP Challenge #1734 ~ Friendship Flowers with Bugaboo Stamps

Welcome to another PIP Challenge where you can win!!

The Prize this week is BUGABOO CASH!!

That's right ~ Cash to spend in the Bugaboo Stamp Store!!  Don't you just love shopping sprees where there is no cost to you??  ME TOO!!  Follow the link and enter your card, themed:     ANYTHING GOES!!

Here is the project I made with the "I Will Accept Color Page" combined with their "Friend Definition" 

Hoping this card will offer a little inspiration to get you started on your challenge entry!!!

My method was pretty simple & straight up.  I just inserted the Friend Definition into the space where I removed the original sentiment from the color page & printed it in the card size I wanted.

I will admit; I originally planned to color in the entire thing!!  I got this far and liked it so much that I decided to leave it like it is!!  I also had planned to color in all of the background bits BLACK and will probably try that on another card ~ but I think that would really make it pop!!

Stampin' Up! markers and a few different Nuvo Drops are all I used. Plus Glossy Accents on the "Friend" sprinkled with a little glitter while still wet. 

Once again, I had a little fun with the inside and the back. That's it!!!

When I send this I will cut a white label
for either a note or sentiment, inside

I also had a moment that brang tears to my eyes!! As I was adding tiny dots to the inside of the daisies . . . . I smudged :(  I waited for it to dry and covered it with a white gel pen! Most effective!! 

For some great challenges try visiting:

The Artistic Stampers Challenge

Word Art Wednesday

FAIR WEEK!!

Spending the week at our local fair!!  I have the best job at our fair. I am the Small Animal Superintendant.  I get to see all of the cuddly critters that come in with the kids <3   



I love seeing each project and enjoy asking how they acquired them, their names
etc. It is delightful to see the kids light up when they talk about their projects.

What an amazing thing it is to be in a small town and recognize personal projects on an individual and personal level. From animals that weigh 1,600 lbs to others that are only a few oz! 

It is an exhausting week of animal shows,

 punctuated with leisure time spent walking around the static exhibits, admiring the extreme talent of gardeners, photographers, quilters, cooks . . . .  Creative inspiration is everywhere you look!!!!           

 
At the end of the week when all the shows are complete and before the awards show there are "Games on the Grass".  Three legged races, watermelon seed spitting, a water balloon toss & even Betsy Bingo which includes a grid on the lawn and a cow. . . . .

 Following that the local Future Farmers of America Chapters host a BBQ and then the stock sale capping off fair for another year! 

 I admit it ~ the small animals steal my heart, but the true joy of fair time for me is witnessing community; kids watering another's animal if they see a need, young participants offering onlookers the chance to pet a calf or cuddle a bunny.

      I think the true reward of fair is watching young adults help each other even when they are competing against each other. A personal story ~ a girl who made it to a Round Robin show.  She was a sheep showman but for this competition would be required to also show a pig, goat, beef, and someone else's sheep. Really quite an honor to be in this competition.  The problem, she is deathly afraid of the 1,400+ lb beef.  Teary eyed I watched kids she would be competing against comfort her and offer animals to practice with.  
   
So that's it!!  My country roots summed up in a post about the county fair!!  I would love to hear about events near & dear to your heart that bring community together.  Feel free to share in the comments or at "HI!" Noteson Facebook!  You're welcome to post pictures there too!!

MIGHTIER THAN THE WAVES OF THE SEA!

Hello again & welcome to the latest PIP Challenge # 1732

 Sponsored by Fabrika Fantasy. 

In case you are new to the fun

PIP stands for Pammie's Inky Pinkies

EVERY WEEK

there is a new paper crafting challenge to enter. 

EVERY WEEK there is a winner

and the sponsors vary so a

wonderful selection of prizes are available!

Fabrika Fantasy has great digis, both colored and uncolored available for your crafting convience!  I am HOOKED on this wonderful seaside ensemble!! Sea Necklace  

 I plan to use it a lot with Psalm 93:4. Because it is a digital image I can print it any size I like (depending on the copier!!) so I may even make some for framing!

To finish the coloring process I took 2 shades of
NUVO Crystal Drops ~ Copper Penny & Antique Rose ~ gently
dotting them randomly around the sea shells in
varying patterns and sizes.

To get the soft hues I was looking for I went with chalks and cotton swabs first.    After dusting in many layers of color,  I sealed the whole thing with workable fixitif and then used the more intense colors of Stampin' Up! markers.  The workable fixitif also functions as a slight barrier so colors appear softer and have a "smear factor" that can be exploited for shading!  

the back ;)

The image was then torn out and to add more dimension I distressed the edges further.  It's layered on cardstocks that compliment the other colors and a couple of pearl gems, some Smooch & Signo white were added for a bit more emphasis.    

OTHER IDEAS:  I'm excited to try embossing this in gold on craft or confetti paper!!!  I am also planning a step card, fussy cutting the elements for each step!! If you're inspired and beat me to it PLEASE share it here  I would LOVE to see it (them!) !!!!!

I love this image so much I have already made a second card!!  . . . .

  PS ~ links show up in Bold !    


PS: Here' a fun place I've found to enter any mixed media project in for a chance to win great prizes! Creative Artiste Challenge Blog