TGIF Challenge 381

   

For this week’s TGIF Challenge 381, I chose a Faux Side-Step fun-fold card. This card is a relatively easy card with a more complicated look.  I've used the Santa Express Designer Series Paper from the July-December Mini Catalog; I love the sweet, yet vibrant the color pallette from this DSP.  

Other supplies used are: Poppy Parade, Basic White, & Evening Evergreen cardstocks; the Whimsical Woodland 3D  Charming Landscapes Embossing Folders, Adhesive-Backed Seasonal Sequins, "Happy Christmas" sentiment from Joyful Flurry Cling Stamp Set, and some Bakers' Twines from my stash. 

 

The measurements for this card are:

1. White Cardstock cut at 5-1/2" x 8"; scored along the long side at: 3", 6", and 7".

     The folds are Mountain at the #" line, Valley at the 6", and Mountain at the 7".

2. I prefer my borders to be 1/8" versus 1/4" so my  DSP is cut: 2-7/8" x 5-3/8" and 7/8" x 5-3/8".

3.  The "faux step" piece of cardstock measures 3" x 8-1/2", scored along the long edge at 4-1/4".  

     This piece is next embossed.  Because my folder is directional, I embossed only the front section.

4.  My packages are: 1-5/8" square from Eveing Evergreen that was embossed using Charming

      Landscapes;  1-3/16" square from polka dot DSP, & 1" x 7/8" from striped DSP. I hand-tied the 

      Bakers' Twines.       

Embossing Folders: Charming Landscapes, 159593 & Whimsical Woodland 3D, 159831

Stamps: Joyful Flurry: 159804

Cardstocks: Poppy Parade:119793; Basic White: 159276; & Evening Evergreen: 155574.

DSP: Santa Express: 159582

Embellishment: Adhesive-Backed Seasonal Sequins, 159964

Challenge Time!

 #TGIFC376

It’s been a while since I entered a challenge so I thought it about time!  While cruising Instagram a couple days ago I came upon another artist's entry for the TGIF Challenge.  This is the challenge sketch for this week:

And here is my card.  I wanted to use the darling new stamp set from the July/August Mini Catalog called North Pole Mischief - I love stamps featuring silly cats!  First I stamped my cat & fish bowl on Basic White cardstock using Memento Black ink & colored in these cute characters using a combination of Blends Alcohol Markers and Stampin Inks using a Water Pen.  Next, I played around with circle die cuts in White and Real Red but just didn't like how the fish or cat looked against these colors.  I stamped & die cut the trees (stamp set from the Mini Catalog, dies Free from the Sale-A-Bration) and again struggled with placement.  I finally settled on circle die cuts from the mottled green "B" side from one piece of Boughs of Holly Designer Series Paper; the "A" side is the beautiful Poinsettias.  The background is another piece from this same DSP. 

I really struggle with photograph colors on this blog - the pictures on my camera are much brighter and lovelier as opposed to the darker look seen here!  I can send the same pictures to my social media and they look great - hopefully soon I can figure out what to do differently! 

PRODUCTS USED:

From the new July/August Mini Catalog:

• North Pole Mischief, Item #159770
• Trees For Sale, Item #159785
• Boughs of Holly Designer Series Paper, Item #159600

FREE Item from Sale-A-Bration:

• Tree Lot Dies, Item #159938

Red Bling: retired glitter gems from my stash

From the 2022-2023 Annual Catalog:

• Linen Thread, Item #104199
• Crumb Cake Blends, Item #154882
• Smoky Slate Blends, Item #154904
• Balmy Blue Stampin Ink, Item #147105
• Wink of Stella Clear Glitter Brush, Item #141897
• CARDSTOCKS: Mossy Meadow(#133676), Old Olive(#100702), Basic White(#159276), and Cherry Cobbler(#119685)  

My Raspberry Garden, May 2022

 What do you do with a narrow bed (7.75’ x 30”) bed of dirt on the back/South side of the house?  Well, I planted raspberries, of course! The vines are loaded this year.

The ancestors of these raspberry vines date back to my “Nana” who had a huge, full, prolific row of these beautiful & delicious berries. Did I mention raspberries are my favorite berry? 

Here’s the story: Nana gave “starts” called runners from her vines to my Mom who then planted her own huge row of raspberries that we enjoyed in my childhood huge garden. When I got my own place, my Mom passed on starts from her vines to me. years later, after my Mom moved to Oregon, I passed on starts of my vines to her for her new home. Then several years later we moved to So Cal and my sweet Mom mailed, yes mailed,  starts to me. Soon, I had a thriving row that we enjoyed for years & when we moved to a different house I brought 3 vines with me. Those 3 starts have grown into this row. Here’s the ”trick/challenge” for me - keep my husband away from the row!  Raspberry vines are prolific & can be invasive so he likes to “cut them back” or “thin them out” & twice now he has cut or pulled out the new runners/vines that produce the next crop of berries & about killed off my plants! This is why my row has a few bare spots.

I’ve been eating a handful every day for about a week & expect a whole bunch to come on all at the same time very soon-yah!  Our first full yield since the move 4 yrs ago-I’m so excited. 

Look at all those green berries and still new blossoms too!  The local honey bees are very busy here & other parts of the yard. 

Patio Update:

 

One of the things I wanted to do when I retired was paint these nasty looking, weather beaten, old Adirondack chairs & fix up our patio. Almost 1-1/2 years later & FINALLY tackled the task!  I started on Monday & finished on Wednesday (May 16-19, 2022); Thursday was cleaning out the shed!

Color choices: Rustoleum Seaside & Krylon Coral for a fun beach theme. 

The condition of the chairs required a coat of primer, then 2 cans of the spray paints for each chair!  

 

 

 I painted the rust old shed too, in fact painting the doors of the shed is what got this project started! 

The icing on the cake for this project is this new umbrella that has the LED Solar lights!  We love the new look of our patio & look forward to enjoying it. Next project…

Tic Tac Toe Challenge #140

 Another card for today…

  

I chose top row, across: stripes, circle, & gold.

I started this card with a piece of Thick White cardstock cut at 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and scored at 4 1/4".  The striped DSP is from the Sale-A-Bration FREEBIE called Peaceful Prints.  This was cut at 4" x 5 1/4" and matted on a piece of Black cardstock measuring 4 1/4" x 5 3/8".  A piece of gold ribbon was wrapped around the card front with the bow tied using the gold braid from Simply Elegant Trim, Item # 155766.

I used the Layering Circles to cut a piece of White cardtock plus the gold coss-hatch and the Real Red scallop circle.  I layered all my circles using wet glue.

Next the darling little trees were cut using some of the other papers from the Peaceful Pines DSP, using the tiny little trees from the Christmas Trees Dies, Item # 156339.  Three of the Five trees were adhered using Mini Dimensionals, Item #144108 and a bit of wet glue at the base of the trunks; the other Two trees were glued down entirely with wet glue.  All of the trees received a "coat" of Wink of Stella.

Did you know the Dimensionals also come in Black? 

The"let your light shine sentiment is from the Whimsical Trees set, Item # 156330. 

I've embellished using Three of the acrylic shapes fro Gingerbread & Peppermint, Item #156322 and brand new Classic Matte Dots, Item #158146.

What do you think?  All or some of the products used can be purchased through me with the exception of the DSP as it was a special deal only available August - September.  I also teach card classes in Ventura, CA - contact me should you be interested!

Global Design Project #318 entry

 Global Design Project #318, Sketch Challenge-my  entry

I tried to think outside the box, well my Type A box anyway!  Below is a picture, the second piture is a close up view of the details.

I love these tiny little trees from the Christmas Trees Die Set, Item 156339.  Both the plaid and the snowflake designer series paper are from the same sheet in the Peaceful Place DSP Pack, Item #156394.

      

I started with a piece of Basic White Thick Cardstock measuring 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", scored at 4 1/4" to create the card base.  Next I cut a piece of Basic White Cardstock at 4" x 5 1/4" and embossed using the Evergre Forest EF, Item # 153576.  The trees were die cut from each of the pieces from Peaceful Place Speciaty DSP, Item # 156394 and popped up with mini Dimensonals on a white circle cut from the Layered Circles Dies, Item # 141770.  My sentiment is from the For Unto Us stamp set, Item # 153335 - on of my new favorites for Christmas sentiments!  The sentiment wa fussy-cut and adhered to a crap of Silver.  A few pearls, White Glittered Ribbon (Item # 156408) tied in a sweet bos, Dimensionals and heres a sweet little Chirstmas all wrapped up for someone special!

 

ttt #133

Today's/Yesterday's card actually is my contribution towards the Tic Tac Toe Challenge #133.   

I chose middle row, across: Black/Stripes/Wreath.

 

 

I tried to step outside the box with using the spider web as the "wreath" and bringing in some fun other elements.  I used my new stamp set: Frightfully Cute along with the Frightful Dies   I started with the Star-Crossed Embossing folder and basic white cardstock.  

Paper & Coloring: I used the striped paper from the Cute Halloween Designer Series Paper, cutting 2 strips. A 3rd piece, cute skeletons, was cut from the flip side of this DSP!  One striped strip is left as is, the other was colored in using a Blending Brush and Gorgeous Grape Stampin' Pad.  I used that same brush and ink pad to add some color to the top left & side of the white panel.  Two spiders were stamped in Basic Black.

Cutting:  The spider web was cut from Silver Foil Paper from my stash.  The sentiment was cut using the die from Frightful Dies in black and then in Pumpkin Pie.  The spiders were fussy-cut leaving a web on one and removing the web on the other.

Embellishments: The twine bow was made using a Black Blends Marker and twine from my stash.  The Black dots are from last year's stash that I got on clearance as I knew I would always be able to use them.  Always check out the Clearance Rack!

Frightfully Cute Stamp Set, item # 156487

Frightful Dies, item# 156492

Cute Halloween Designer Series Papre, 6" x 6", item# 156479

Star-Crossed Embossing Folder, item#156567

Pumpkin Pie Cardstock, item# 105117

Basic Blacl Cardstock, item# 121045

Basic White Cardstock, item# 159276

I chose Middle Row Across for thisnweek's challenge:Black, Sripes, Wreath.