a four part challenge

Melissa, known as mollymoo, on our SplitCoastStampers flybaby is hostessing our October challenge .  She asked us to use these four things on a card or make four cards and use the different techniques.

        1. stitching! Hand stitch, sewing machine or faux! (Post #5)
        2. specialty! Not your usual cardstock. Post #6
        3. all mixed up! Let's dauble in mixed media!
        4. sparkle! Sequins, glitter, rhinestones!
At first, my brain went into: OVERWHELM….then I thought, yikes if I do all that on one card it will be gaudy…  Well, here it is, one card; all the parts.

I am posting two pictures and maybe you can grasp the rich look this came out with.

• my stitching is faux on the ribbon and around the ornament (love mft blueprints dies)
• specialty cardstock is the acrylic ornament which is laid over tissue paper (both of which I never used before this week) and gold foil for the hanger part of the ornament
• mixed media…I had these alcohol inks in my stash for years, I think we made a card similar to this at a class once and I bought the things and never made the cards.  which is why I think I had the acrylic sheets
• rhinestones, ever so delicately placed in a triangle   glitter using, Versamark and  heat and stick powder which is also mixed media

Did I enjoy making this?  YES, I did and it really didn’t take so long either. It is a specialty card though and not something I would want to mass produce.

Happy Birthday Simon Says Way

Anything goes at Simon Says Stamp this week and their own products are the focus.  This card is made with the kit from May 2012 I believe.  Love love love all the little goodies that came in that kit.  I used The All Occasion Greetings for the sentiment and one of the mini hearts from the mini hearts die.  Both from SSS.  I really love the different look of this card. THANKS Simon Says for making such quality products.

This is going to be handed to a young girl that turns the ripe old age of 19 today.

house mouse techy message

Love the house mouse stamps.  Most of them I got at rummage sales a few a purchased from The Stamp Shoppe years ago.  I forgot I even had this one but it made a perfect card for the MFTWSC148 sketch challenge.  I used the hand lettered saying on the computer in place of the little banner tag in the sketch.

Here is the sketch and my version of it. –My word, I need five cards for today.  This is card number 3 finished.  onward!

 

So very sad

Sad to see the Sweet Stop is having their last Saturday blog challenge.  Of course I had to use Coco Mouse in this situation.  He always makes me smile.  Here is my offering for the last Sweet Stop #234  I will miss you.  It’s been fun and I even won a couple of times.  Thank you so much Sweet N Sassy.

Spooky

Spooky is the Monday challenge at Simon Says.  I made this cute little bear and then made him Spooky by attaching a mask.  I don’t really like scary things so I kind of had to think about this challenge.

Happy Halloween

Simon Says is having a Halloween Challenge for their Wednesday challenge blog.  While I don’t get that into Halloween I have an adult daughter that still loves everything about halloween from those ugly ravens to witches.  I thought she would have fun opening this card with the very cute House Mouse mice.  They are the only cute thing about Halloween as far as I am concerned.   well all the little kiddos too!

 

The back ground papers are Martha Stewart and the sentiment is from a retired set.

And then there is life!

Edith will soon be 96.   Jerry and Sharon are having a potluck celebration for her after meeting this Sunday.  Lillian Tenniswood just turned 104.  We are thankful for these pillars who teach us what life is really about.  In their years, they have seen many things, they have been young, middle aged, seniors and now elderly.  The things that are important in life are not things.  They have wonderful loving relationships with many many people, from all ages and all walks of life.  What’s not to love about a humble, loving, caring person.  Happy Birthday the two of you.

Sometimes we need a lot of cards

Jane Magsam has passed.  She was Dorina’s mom.  Dorina has two boys who have lost a beautiful grandmother.   Those young boys have learned a few lessons these last few weeks.  Dorina’s boys were here this past summer with the other grandpa and grandma and I am feeling their loss.  Jane is also the sister-in-law of Sylvia and Bill.  Dear friends to all in Wittenberg and beyond. 
Gene Brotzman died.  His granddaughter, Kandace and our Sarah are very close friends.  They stood up in each other’s weddings. We have gone to fellowship meetings on the first Sunday of they month for four years now, with Dan and Ruby.  Kandace’s mom and dad.  Gene is also the best friend of Bill and Sylvia.  Those dear people have had a lot of loss in their life in the past year.  Sylvia’s mom died, last June.  Then her brother, this past December, now her sister-in-law and best friend all in a week.
A card is small but it says so much.  Sometimes, it is the only thing a person can do.  Here is my simple offering for many.



 Today I will finish disposing of my plants in the pots outside and think about the process of life and living and dying. In spite of all the deaths, my heart is feeling very peaceful. 

Warm up with Coco Mouse

this was a new technique for me to make a hidden message card.  Also for HYCCT.  It’s too cute not to enter it into Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge to use a rubber or acrylic stamp.  The stamp is from Sweet N Sassy-Coco Mouse Tea set (psst..it’s on sale right now)  The card took shape with My Favorite Things Blue Prints 3 that you can get from Simon Says.   The DP was gifted to me in precut shapes so not sure whose it is but thinking Creative Memories.   It was a fun card to make.  Flower Soft on the top gave it the added touch it needed.  Wouldn’t you just love to share a cup of tea together?

Hope IS

 

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge is to use a “real stamp” not a digi.   This card is also for HYCCT at Split Coast Stampers.  It will go in the box to be shipped to MD Anderson clinic in TX for women going through treatment to use since shopping for cards is likely a time consuming task and energy that can be spent elsewhere.

I distressed the edges with a scissors, Ran the DP  from the Traveler Mat Pack from Me and My BIg Ideas through the cuttlebug with a Fiskars honey comb embossing plate, for a bit of texture.

Die cut and stamped the leaf with Sweet N Sassy’s Autumn Leaves set and added the sentiment from an old Stampin’ Up set. 

Pink Tag

Simon Says has a challenge using Sentiments.  I have always loved this one  and decided it would work perfectly for My first ever large tag.  I have never really liked the thought of working with tags but there is so much mixed media being done on them; it kind of called my name today.  I made this for a friend and thought I would try some of that mixed media technique.  I used Dylusions spray, whew, that stuff is vibrant.  I love how it turned out.  Then I sponged some of the watered down spray on half the card.  Pressed my MFT dots stamp into the puddled spray and stamped that.  then inked up my friend stamp from MFP and stamped off and subtly stamped it several times on the tag.  I finally found my acrylic sheets and I cut a scalloped border with a die from MFT.  added a tiny strip of pink paper run through the puddle still sitting on my craft mat and then glitzed it up a bit with a start dust pen.  it needed that Recollections flower and a paper button from CM.  All in all I call it a success and I would try making tags again.