Happy Little Stampers December Stencil Challenge

It is time to participate in the December stencil challenge at Happy Little Stampers.   Our stencil challenge is always "anything goes."

I chose to make a baby card this month.  We have a new baby boy coming into the world and I knew I would need a card as soon as he arrives.  

I had bought this cute vehicle layered stencil from Pretty Pink Posh when I knew the baby was going to be a boy.  

I must admit I watched a video and used the same colors from the video I watched. My mojo has been sadly lacking so I knew this would help me in creating the card.

I first did some light blue ink smooshing on the background - I have a slight problem with completely white backgrounds.  The sedan is done with mowed lawn and lucky clover oxide inks.  The truck is done with candied apple and fired brick oxide inks.  The little card (which you can hardly see is salvaged patina and peacock feathers oxide inks.  The school bus is mustard seed and wild honey oxide inks.  I used the second color for each vehicle to shade the bottom.  It is an easy layered stencil to use.

Unfortunately I did have an issue with my stenciling so had to chop off the top row of vehicles.

Luckily I had just bought a set of sentiments that had a "welcome baby" sentiment.  I do not have much in my "too many supplies" that are baby related.  

After trimming down the background, I matted it with bright green card stock and put it on a navy card base.  

I was able to use the row I had to chop off to decorate the inside of my card.  

I am ready for this baby to be born.  I just mailed a big box off to the family.

Please come join us for the Happy Little Stampers Stencil Challenge.  

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Little Stampers December Christmas Challenge

Are you ready for Christmas?  Have you got all your Christmas cards made?  I always hope to have my first batch of cards mailed at the very beginning of December.  I usually end up with several trips to the post office.  I have already bought some Christmas stamps.  I am getting ready.  But I digress, are you ready?

The theme for the December Christmas Challenge at Happy Little Stampers is always Anything goes with an added option which this month is stencil.   

I started with a background I did some light blue ink smooshing on.  I then used a stencil from darkroom door - small stencil - Bauble Set.  The details in the middle of the ornament were from an ornament stencil from Honey Bee Stamps. The colors of oxide ink used were mowed lawn, lucky clover, salvaged patina, peacock feathers and blueprint sketch.  

I stenciled it and goofed up in my placement of the bow so I fussy cut out the bow and the ornament.  I was not having a good day of creating - I did three different stenciled backgrounds and managed to save two of them.  I did use one of the ornaments from the ruined background to decorate the inside of the card.

I used a dot stencil and added a clear sparkly gel to the background.  The ornament and sentiment were attached with foam.  I matted the panel with a bright green card stock and added it to a navy card base.

Here is a close up of the ornament.  I wrapped silver thread around the center of the bow so it matched the silver thread which was used as the hanger.  You can see the sparkle in the bow, background and on the center medallion in the ornament.  To add the sparkle to the bow I just rubbed a light layer of the glitter gel over the bow.

Here is the inside of the card where I glued the salvaged ornament from the ruined background.

Please join us at Happy Little Stampers for the December Christmas Challenge.  

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Little Stampers December Birthday Challenge

 It is December - time for another birthday challenge at Happy Little Stampers.  

As always our challenge is "Anything Goes".  

I was intrigued by the November Sheetload of Cards design so decided to make one card using the layout.  The front panel is actually cut apart and it is connected back together with two design elements.  I really do like how it turned out.  You can find the video on YouTube at this link.

This card is for my niece Molly.  She is named after her grandmother - Molly Beatrice.  This is why there is a bee on the card.

The bee is from Honeybee Stamps.  The paper was from a kit so don't know who made it but I loved  the paper.  

Here is a close up of the focal point and the opening.  It surprises me how nicely the card stands up.  The key to this is using a heavy card stock for your card base.

Please join us at Happy Little Stampers for our December Birthday Challenge.  You know you need birthday cards.

Thanks for stopping by.  

Oldie Moldie Monday

 It is Monday time to show some love for your old supplies.  

This card uses a vintage playing card as the focal point.  Different colors of card stock and patterned paper completed the card layout.

Remember to show some love to your old supplies.  They still make great cards.

Thanks for stopping by.

Oldie Moldie Monday

 It is Monday - time to show some love for your old supplies.

This is another card using recycled misprinted address labels.  The card is very bright and cheerful.  I was able to use up some of my very old card stock.

Remember to show some love for your old supplies.  They still make beautiful cards.

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Little Stampers November Stencil Challenge

It is time for a new stencil challenge at Happy Little Stampers.   The challenge is always "anything goes".  

I like to send out cards in the fall and leaves are always a favorite subject for my cards.  I can't resist and cool leaf stencil or stamp.

The stenciled leaf is a very inexpensive stencil from Darice that you can find at any big box craft store.  I used oxide inks for the colors on my leaf and filled in the background with a shade of yellow.

I used my Silhouette to cut oak leaves in two different sizes and colors.  The cute little gnome is a die from Simon Says Stamp.  Gold splatters completed the card.

Please join us for our November stencil challenge.  

Thanks for stopping by.

November Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge

It is time for a new Christmas challenge at Happy Little Stampers.  Christmas is next month - do you have your cards made already?  If not, I would suggest you get busy.

The challenge is always "anything goes" but we do offer you an option to focus on if you need something to jumpstart your creativity.

This last year I have been trying to use up some of my old supplies,  I found these wonderful Santa images in a pad of paper - and unfortunately I do not remember the name of the paper company.  I do not think they are in business anymore.

I used a very simple card design on each card and let the patterned paper do the talking.  I added the paper doily from my stash to give a more vintage look to the card.  I do not know the company for the sentiment stamp.

On this card I did not need a sentiment because it was part of the image.  After I had layered all the papers together, I ran it through an embossing folder to add some texture.

Please join us at Happy Little Stampers for our November Christmas challenge.  

Thanks for stopping by.

November Happy Little Stampers Birthday Challenge

It is time for a new birthday challenge at Happy Little Stamper's.  This challenge is always "anything goes" so you can get your birthday cards made for the year.  You know you have lots of birthdays coming up and will need a card so why not get a head start on your creating.

This card was inspired by a journal page I did in my Junk Journal July.  I decided to take the same concept (woven torn strips of painted paper) and make it into a card front.  

I first painted copy paper with a blue acrylic paint.  I did not care if I had perfect coverage because this is a mixed media card.  I tore approximately 3/4 inch strips of the paper and started weaving them.  After I had a woven piece for my card front, I carefully glued the strips together.

I took more of the painted paper and stamped my butterflies on them and fussy cut them out. I wish I had heat embossed the butterflies so the black was bolder.  I added foam underneath the wings to give them a little dimension off the page.  I wanted more contrast so I stamped some small circles over the card front.  I took a pencil and added some sketch lines to each rectangle on the weaving.  A sentiment and black and white splatters completed the card.

It was mounted on a black card base.

Here is a close up of the large butterfly.  You can see the splatters, stamped circle and sketched pencil lines on the rectangle.

Here is the inside of the card.

I hope my friend will like her card.  

Please join us at Happy Little Stampers for our November birthday challenge.

Thanks for stopping by.

Oldie Moldie Monday

 It is Monday - time to show some love to your old supplies.

The backgrounds for both of these cards are recycled address labels.  The address was wrong so my friend was going to throw them out and I said I bet I could make cards out of them.  Well the other day, I found the kits to make these cards so I finished up approximately 8 cards.  The strip of vellum through the middle hides the line where the pieces of labels line up.

Thanks for stopping by and remember to show some love for your old supplies.

Oldie Moldie Monday

 It is Monday - time to show some love for your old supplies.

I have had these ink blended "Thinking of You" panels in my supplies for several years and I decided to make them into birthday cards.  Birthday card which can go into my birthday project.

Remember to show some love for your old supplies or finish up some of those unfinished projects.  Get busy.

Old supplies still make wonderful cards.

Oldie Moldie Monday

 It is Monday, time to show some love for your old supplies.

I cut some strips from 6 x 6 paper and adhered at an angle across cream colored card stock.  I then embossed the panel.  The embossing brings everything together.  I added a favorite OLD sentiment.

Remember to show some love for your old supplies.  They still make wonderful cards.

Thanks for stopping by.

Masculine Birthday Card

 The Sisterhood of Crafters current challenge is to make a Masculine Card.  

I recently bought this HAPPY stamp and wanted to give it a try.  I was finishing up cards for a nursing home and wanted to make a few more masculine cards.  I did my card in blues which I think is a masculine color.

I like how the card turned out.  It would make a great holiday card also by doing HAPPY holidays and use some green or red plaid.

Off to my design table to try it out.

Gnome Fall Hugs

 It is fall and I love to make fall cards.  I love to use leaves on my cards.  Right now it also seems I have so many friends that need a little extra love in their life.  I have friends in Florida who are working to repair their homes, kids away at college and just friends who need a hug.  I had a gnome left over from a different project so he needed to be put on a card and sent off to give someone a paper hug.

I am doing several challenges for this card.  

The first challenge is the sketch at Freshly Made Sketches.  This is a good basic sketch.

The Octoberfest challenge from Double D Challenges.

The October Anything Goes challenge from The Four Season Challenge.

Here is my card.  Luckily there was some fall paper sitting on my design table which started the creativity.  I dug out this 3 D leaf embossing folder and cut the leaves from some scrap card stock.  The gnome was all ready to be added to the card.  I die cut the word hugs from another piece of scrap card stock.  Before I adhered the front panel to the card, I ran it through a leaf embossing folder.  I love the extra texture it adds to the background.  I added the panel to a kraft card base and then added the leaves, gnome and sentiment.

One more card done.  One more card that will bring a smile to someone's face and know that I am thinking about them.

Thanks for stopping by.  

Christmas Joy

I am working on my Christmas cards and was trying to use up some of my older paper.  This pad of paper I have had for years and I am down to just a few pieces of it left.  The colors are beautiful in blues and teals.

I decided to play along with the current challenge at Peace on Earth Christmas Challenge.   Here is their mood board to jumpstart your creativity.

I chose to make a mini slimline card.  I do love this size of card to create on.  Look at the lovely paper in the background of the card.  I added some 3D embossed snowflakes and a Joy die cut - all in white to complete the card.  In the center of the snowflakes I put a small dot of blue Stickles.  White splatters completed the card.

Thanks for stopping by.  

Oldie Moldie Monday

 It is Monday, time to show some love for you old supplies.

This week we will focus in on a Christmas card.

The focal point on this card is a gift tag.  Gift tags make wonderful focal points for Christmas card.  I die cut a gold bow to cover the hole on the tag.  The addition of a beautiful red plaid paper and a strip of gold paper which matches the bow complete the card.

Remember to show some love for your old supplies.  Remember they still make wonderful cards.

Thanks for stopping by.

October Happy Little Stamper Stencil Challenge

It is time for a new challenge at Happy Little Stamper's using your stencils.  

Stencils are such an inexpensive tool to have in your card making supplies and they can be used in so many different ways.  

I used a new stencil from TCW for this card.  I first lightly added color over the entire area of a square piece of card stock.  I centered the stencil over the square and used masking tape to hopefully keep it clean and have a well defined line.  I used different colors of oxide ink over the leaf square of the stencil.  I trimmed down the square for my card front.  I matted the focal point with two different shades of brown card stock and adhered all of it to a kraft card base.

I had these die cut leaf images left over from last year.  They had been cut from gel printed paper colored with acrylic paint.  The die is from Tim Holtz.  I added a simple stamped sentiment to finish off the card.  I did add gold splatters to the completed card.

Please join us at Happy Little Stampers for our October Stencil Challenge.

Thanks for stopping by.  

Happy Little Stamper's October Christmas Challenge

Christmas is fast approaching and we are going to need those Christmas cards ready to mail out in December.  Happy Little Stampers is here to help you with our monthly Christmas challenge.  The challenge is always Anything Goes but we do have an extra option if you would like to try it.  This month the option is Frame.  

I dug into my large collection of Tim Holtz Christmas paper and accessories to make this card. It is in the 5 x 7 size range.  The image is printed on a heavy vellum type paper so it is see through.  I layered  the image on top of a patterned paper that shows through the translucent paper.  I stitched the vellum to the patterned paper.  I added a red mat and a gold mat to finish off the focal point.  This was adhered to the front of a kraft card base.

I cut the sentiment out of the same gold card stock I used on the card front.  

Guess what - I did not add any gold splatters to my card.  I didn't think it needed it.  

 

Please join us at Happy Little Stamper's and participate in our Christmas Challenge.  You will be happy you did it in December.

Thanks for stopping by.  

Christmas Stars and Sketch Challenge

 The last couple days I have played with a sketch challenge and a challenge I have in a private Facebook group.  The group challenge is to use stars on your Christmas cards.  I used the sketch and substituted stars for the circles.

Here is the sketch from 52 Christmas Card Throwdown.

I used my Silhouette to cut my stars from pattern paper.  I also cut plain white ones to glue to each star to make them heavier.  I glued my layer of stars together and then added white gesso around the edge to give them a frosted look.  I dry embossed the snowflake background and matted it with another piece of patterned paper.  I used a readymade sentiment and matted it with more patterned paper.  Everything was glued to the card base.  I splattered a sparkly white ink over the card to add some shimmer.  As an afterthought, I added the snowflakes to tie the background into the focal point.

Thanks for the sketch.

Keep working on those Christmas cards - it is coming very fast.  

October Happy Little Stamper's Birthday Challenge

If you haven't heard, Happy Little Stamper's has added a Birthday Challenge to their line up of challenges.  The challenge is always "Anything Goes" and you know we all need to make birthday cards so this is a good way to get some made.  I know I am using it to my advantage.

This is a birthday card for my great niece who loves her cats.  They have both a yellow and gray cat currently running their household.  

The stamps and dies are from Funky Fossils.  The cats were stamped and colored with Copics.  I had not used my Copics for a long time and my coloring definitely needs some improvement.  I fussy cut the images out.  I used some patterned paper for the mat and for the background.  I used a stencil with pearlized paste to add some interest behind my focal point.  The cup was die cut from patterned paper also.  I did die cut an extra layer of heavy cardstock to add some dimension to the cup.  I inserted the polka dot paper into the holes to brighten up the cup.  The sentiment completed the card.

I love the expression on the cat's face.  I do wonder what they are looking at.

Please join us at Happy Little Stamper's for our birthday challenge.  

Thanks for stopping by.

Oldie Moldie Monday

It is Monday, time to show some love for your old supplies.

This week we will look at a quilt design card.  These dies are great to use up patterned paper and if you use a 6 x 6 pad, all the papers coordinate and work well together.  I did use a new sentiment stamp set.

 Remember to use your old supplies, they still make wonderful cards.

Thanks for stopping by.

Birthday Projects Almost Finished

 October is the month of my Mom's birth.  She has been gone for several years now but I wanted to celebrate her.  The last couple years I have been working on my "birthday project".  The birthday project is to provide a box of cards to the nursing home where she lived the last few years of her life.  This Friday I will deliver my box.  I have over 150 cards in the box.  I have struggled with making masculine cards but did complete a couple more this morning.

I am using the new challenge at Paper Players to inspire me.

The focal point on both of these cards is a vintage postcard which I have cut with a die. I have used old card stock to add color to the cards.  I am happy to be able to use some of the card making supplies I have accumulated.

Thanks for stopping by.  

Oldie Moldie Monday

 It is Monday, time to show some love for your old supplies.

This week we are doing Christmas cards.

The focal image is a Tim Holtz ephemera piece from one of the many packages I have in my collection.  I believe the paper might be from one of his collection.  I don't remember for sure.  I added distressing to the edges of the paper to go with the look of the vintage image.

Remember to show some love to your old supplies.  They still make great cards.

Thanks for stopping by.

Oldie Moldie Monday

It is Monday - time to show some love for your old supplies.

This week we are doing birthday cards.

I actually found the image in my supplies already colored so I just needed to find some patterned paper to work with the image.  The plaid makes a wonderful masculine birthday card.

 Remember to show some love for your old supplies.  They still make beautiful card.

Thanks for stopping by.

Oldie Moldie Monday

 It is Oldie Moldie Monday - time to show some love for your old supplies.

This week we will look at some Christmas cards using well aged patterned paper.

The focal points on both cards were cut aparts from a Christmas paper pad.  I just found paper that worked well with the black focal points.  

Remember to show some love for your old supplies.  They still make great cards.

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Little Stamper's September Stencil Challenge

It is September, time for a new stencil challenge at Happy Little Stampers.  Stencils are such an economical crafting tool for a card maker.  The challenge is always anything goes.

I needed to make a baby girl card and we have a new baby in the neighborhood and Daddy wanted dinosaurs for his daughter.  The stencil I chose to use is from Pretty Pink Posh.  

It is a layered stencil.  I chose to use distress oxides for my medium.  I really wanted to stamp little flowers or hearts on the front when the stenciling was done but I was not going to chance ruining the front.

The Hooray is a die and I generated the sentiment on my computer.

Please join us for the September Stencil Challenge at Happy Little Stamper's.  

Thanks for stopping by.