Decorations Challenge for CASS

Hi there,

Wait, what happened to August (not to mention summer)? My September blog header is a "late bloom" of my hardy hibiscus! Such a huge flower, though I have to say the leaves didn't look so spectacular this year!! I know that Japanese beetles got to them last year and it looks like that again, however the big saucer blooms are so fun and although they only last a couple of days, it has put on a lovely display of blooms the entire summer.

I'm here today with my monthly post for Christmas at Sweet Stampin', where they have an anything goes Christmas challenge and this month there is an option to use decorations! Surely, you have a stamp or die cut of some kind of Christmas decoration?  We would love to see you join in the fun. So now on to my card:

I was able to attend the Scrapbook Convention last month, where I took a few fun classes and picked up a few fun items! One of the classes was with Rubbernecker Stamps using their Watercolor Background Set 1227. For my card background, I started with one of the background images and mixed some water from a waterbrush and some Nuvo Catherine Wheel Shimmer Powder, using the waterbrush I painted the image and stamped it on to a piece of watercolor paper. I continued this process several times.

After the red splatters were dry (I used my heat tool to ensure it was), I came in and repeated the process with Nuvo Green Parade Shimmer Powder.

I die cut a piece of red and green cardstock using the Memory Box Addison Background Ornament die.

I then cut the Addison Ornament twice from Gold Mirror cardstock.

The gold ornaments were adhered to the red and green ornaments using a little Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive. The middle bauble was made by die cutting the ornament out of red cardstock and then putting a piece of Super Adhesive Sheet on top of Gold Mirror cardstock and running it through with the background die cut. The Adhesive sheet was peeled back to reveal the sticky gold surface on to which I placed the red ornament.

The sticky surface of the ornament was then filled in with 24KT Gold glitter.

I stamped the sentiment from Hero Arts CL551 on to white cardstock with Versafine Claire Golden Meadow. This was then heat embossed with Gold Detail embossing powder. It was placed at the bottom of the card and then the ornaments were added with mounting foam.

The bauble tops were glued in place using some Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive and then I added a little gold thread and taped them to the back of the background piece before layering to a green layer. This was then layered to a white card base.

Here's a close up of the ornaments:

Hope you've enjoyed my share today? Please stop by and join in the fun over at
the Christmas at Sweet Stampin' Creative Challenge. Below is a list of my card
ingredients!:

Rubbernecker Stamps 1227 Watercolor Background Set

Hero Arts CL551

Detail Gold (EP168)

Versafine Clair Golden Meadow

Super Adhesive Sheet

24kt Gold (GM2038)

Gold Mirror Cardstock

Nuvo Shimmer Powders: Catherine Wheel and Green Parade

Water Brush

Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive

Memory Box Addison Ornament Background

Memory Box Addison Ornament

Foam Mounting Tape
Gold Thread

I would like to take part in the following challenges:
World Wide Open Design Team Challenge #8 - Anything Goes
Classic DT Open Challenge #9 - Anything Goes
The Holly and the Ivy Christmas Challenge #55: Anything Goes
Take it Make it Challenge - September: Anything Goes
Scrapy Land Challenge #121: Anything Goes (use a die that SL carries)

Till next time,

Shona

Snowpeople Challenge for CASS

Hi everyone,

Wow, what a whirlwind of a summer! How can it already be August? A lot has happened over the last month and things don't look like calming down for a while. However it is mostly good, so I cannot complain!

With all the rain we have been experiencing, both plants and weeds are thriving - rather than post a weed, my August header is a plant that is blooming for the first time for me - Ligularia (commonly known as Leopard plant) - so pretty in the shade of my arbor!

As for my card - the Christmas at Sweet Stampin' Creative Challenge for August our optional theme is "Snowpeople". Here is what I created using only a freebie from a magazine - don't you just love it when that happens?

Here is the package that I received: 

So first off I used the embossing folder and then positioned the little tree within the circle in Versafine Clair Nocturne. I then masked off the part of the circle where the snowman would overlap so that he would stay within the snow globe.

Next I colored very minimally the scarf, hat and nose using Copics.

... and a little blue bling was provided to his buttons with Blue Lagoon Nuvo Glitter drops.

Next some clear White Blizzard glitter drops were added to the berries and centers of the snowflakes. This was then set aside to dry.

The inside was stamped with a sentiment from the same package along with another little blue snowman.

The light blue frame was die cut with Cheery Lynn Celtic Squares Boutique Stacker Frames. This was attached to a white card base. Once the Nuvo Drops were dry, this was then pop dotted on to the top of the blue frame.

... and that concludes my "Snow People" card for today! I hope to see you join in the fun over at Christmas at Sweet Stampin'? Surely you have at least one stamp of a snow person?!?!? ... and if not you can still join along as that is just optional.

I'd like to play along in the following challenges:

The Holly and the Ivy Challenge #54: Anything Christmas Goes

Classic DT Open Challenge August #8: Anything Goes

Jingle Belles Rock: Blue Christmas

CRAFT Challenge #528: Christmas

CCEE Stampers 1932: Embossing Wet or Dry

Hope you've enjoyed my share today?

Shona

Christmas in the Sun!

Hi there,

I'm so hoping that everyone's summer is going along well. My July header is the result of one of the first Monarch eggs that were laid in my Waystation, as far as I know. I brought them in and reared them in cages and they are now on their way to create future generations! (There are some pics. below  - if you are interested).  Despite the very wet weather that we have recently been experiencing, the yard is coming along - as well as the weeds! It took me four weeks to install my 12 yards of mulch, as there were days on end of rain and then we were away and then .... you know the scoop!

So now that the hot and humid has finally hit us - this month's Christmas at Sweet Stampin' theme actually was easy as I was thinking instead on weeding and mulching a little beach time would be fun and deserved!

So out came an oldie but goodie from Sparkle N Sprinkle:

She was stamped twice in Versafine Clair Acorn and then heat embossed with clear detail embossing powder. One was colored using finger daubers and Memento inks: Dandelion, Cantaloupe and Toffee Crunch and was then fussy cut. 

The second one was the background panel which was sponged with the Dandelion and Summer Sky ink from Memento. The details of both were colored with Copics, including the shell and bushes.

To get the little sign I stamped out the other little guy from the set who was carrying it. 

Florida or Bust from the same set, positioned with the Stamp Platform was stamped in Versa Fine Claire Glamorous and then heat embossed with Clear Detail powder. This was then fussy cut.

The background was then layered on to a piece of light blue cardstock (also with the postage die cut). This was then added to a die cut piece of light blue before being layered to yellow (die cut with MB Cross Stitched Frame). This was all layered to a white card base.

Using the Quickie Glue pen Creamsicle glitter was added to the bikini, Celestial glitter to the snow parts and the beach. Pinkerbell was also added to the shell in the same way. 

Happy Christmas from the Sparkle N Sprinkle Christmas Sayings set 223 was stamped in Versafine Clair Acorn and then heat embossed with Teddy Brown (EP187).

That wrapped it up for today! Looking forward to seeing all your fun cards highlighting Christmas in the sun!

Below are the products I used in my creation:

Sparkle N Sprinkle Christmas Flamingo 343

Sparkle N Sprinkle Christmas Sayings 223

Versafine Claire Acorn

Versafine Clair Glamorous

Memento Dandelion, Cantaloupe, 

Toffee Crunch & Summer Sky

Clear Detail (EP280)

Teddy Brown (EP187)

Quickie Glue Pen

Pinkerbell (G1130)

Celestial (G1031)

Creamsicle (G1140)

Memory Box Cross Stitched Frame

22 Craft Postage

Copics

Yellow, Blue and Pink Baker’s Thread

I'd like to enter the following challenges with my card today:
Krafty Chicks Challenge #463: Christmas in July!
Crafty Calendar Challenge - July Challenge: Christmas in July
The Holly and the Ivy Christmas Challenge #52: ATG
Try Stampin' on Tuesday Challenge #416: Christmas in July
World Wide Open Design Team Challenge #6: ATG
Classic DT Open Challenge #7: ATG
Scrapy Land Challenge #7: Use a die make that SL carries
Take It Make It July Challenge: Anything Goes
Double Trouble Challenge #32: Christmas in July
Retro Rubber Challenge Blog #114: Use a stamp older than a year

Lastly, for my nature loving friends - you might enjoy my latest backyard photography:

Below you can see (1) the female Monarch laying an egg and then (2) the egg, then (3) it is about to hatch and then (4) is day one! I bring in the eggs that are laid outside to rear them in cages to help the Monarch population. The butterfly photographed in the header will hopefully be the grandmother of the generation that will make its way to Mexico for the winter. 

Hope you've enjoyed my share today? Till next time!

Shona