TSOT 680 - Deck the Halls

 Welcome to Ty a Sketch on Tuesday Challenge 680!

This is an interesting design - if you are stuck, die cut two open rectangles, cut them in half diagonally  and interlock them at the corners. 

I chose a black background with holiday patterned paper for the design. The poinsettia was die cut from white cardstock, inked and splattered with water before it was shaped. That was added to the centre and I placed a sentiment at the bottom. Some clear gems were placed around the image. 

Come and join us at TSOT and show us how you interpret this challenge. 

You have two weeks to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create!

Enjoy,

Alyson 

DT 201 - Poppy Blessings

 Welcome to Double Trouble Challenge 201!

It's a Something, Anything, Everything challenge - but we ask that you identify your 3-2-1 items. 

I used 3 layers, 2 colours and 1 sentiment. 

The poppy images were die cut from vellum, gold foil paper and white cardstock. I carefully removed the white pieces and put them on sticky tape so I could ink them using shades of orange and yellow. They were pieced back into the gold outlines. I embossed the sentiment at the bottom of the cardstock panel and added a thin strip of gold cardstock. The poppies were arranged to cover the remainder of the card. I added some black gems in the open spaces.

Come and join us at Double Trouble and show us how you interpret this challenge. 

You have two weeks to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create!

Enjoy, 

Alyson

Poinsettia Frame Cards

 I spent some time hot foiling a bunch of sentiments and I also did several of these poinsettia frames. I used the coordinating stencils and dies to complete these cards. 

I made two of each. The black background card took the largest amount of time as both the inside and the outside of the frame had to be coloured with a black marker. Some of those sections are tiny! That was adhered to black cardstock and I added the sentiments across the centre. The berries were filled in with glitter paste. The card on the left was stencilled and I die cut a gold circle to go under the (misaligned!) sentiment. 

The second set of cards were stencilled in non-traditional colours. For the top card, I stencilled the poinsettia images using shades of blue and purple. That frame was adhered to a die cut (coverplate) background and the sentiment was placed in the centre. The second card was stencilled and the background was lightly inked with the sentiment stamped directly on the background. 

Enjoy, 

Alyson

Birdies, Birdies and More Birdies

 I have had this die set on my desk for ages... I finally got around to using it! 

The backgrounds for both cards were embossed and I placed die cut clouds at the top. The branches were die cut and lightly inked and I added leaves under the branch ends. Tiny flowers were also added along the branches. The birds were die cut, assembled and placed along the branches. I chose two different sentiments - one for each card - and added them at the side. Liquid Pearls were added to the centre of the flowers. 

Enjoy, 

Alyson

CD 671 - Embossed Leaves

 Welcome to Colour Dare Challenge 671!

You must use both colours shown below. 

I made an autumn leaf card. The leaves were embossed with white embossing powder on white cardstock and I ink blended both orange and yellow ink on top. I splattered the entire panel with gold paint and added an embossed sentiment across the bottom, along with some gold thread. A few gold gems were placed around the sentiment.

Come and join us at Colour Dare and show us how you interpret this challenge. 

You have two weeks to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create!

Enjoy, 

Alyson

White Wreath Card

 I'm always looking for Christmas card ideas and saw something like this on Pinterest. 

The background was embossed with a woodgrain folder and I lightly blended grey ink around the edges. The wreath elements were die cut using a pine branch die and a berry branch die. They were arranged in a (sort of)circle and I embossed the sentiment and added it at the bottom. A twine bow was placed at the top and I added red Stickles to some of the berries.

Enjoy, 

Alyson

Let It Snow Fun Fold Card

 I posted a card like this a while ago - this is the one I made in my Facebook group - same card, different colour scheme. 

I love how this all folds up to a 5x7 size but when it is open, there are some pretty surprises. I don't usually use ephemera but I purchased a Christmas paper pack last year and got the other elements with it. Some of the ephemera was perfect for this card like the deer on the front and the pop-up sentiment inside. The sentiments can be hard to read as they are silver and the light reflects off them. 

A message can be written on the second circle below the sentiment. 

Enjoy, 

Alyson

Silver Merry Christmas

 I am heavily into making my Christmas cards and found a card like this on Pinterest and wanted to try it myself. 

I chose a silver and white colour scheme. The background was embossed with a music folder and I die cut white berry branches and silver leaves. They were arranged under the embossed sentiment along with a silver ribbon. I added Liquid Pearls to the berries and placed some silver gems around the card. 

Enjoy, 

Alyson

AH 648 - Birthday Stripes

 Welcome to Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge 648!

I chose to use foil papers for my card. The background is a light grey brick pattern and I arranged three colours of foil on grey cardstock for the stripes. The lightest foil colour was also used to die cut the sentiment. The word HAPPY was stamped and added above the die cut birthday piece. A few clear gems were added near the sentiment.

Come and join us at Atlantic Hearts and show us how you interpret this challenge. 

You have until Sunday evening to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create!

Enjoy, 

Alyson

Embossed and Inked Cards

 I have a difficult time with adding inks to embossing folders... the results are always inconsistent. I suppose that is part of the technique as it isn't supposed to look perfect, but I have a hard time with that. 

The first card began with a white piece of cardstock that was lightly inked in shades of blue and then embossed. That panel was taped to the inside of the embossing folder and I inked the reverse side with dark blue ink. I had to do that a few times to get full coverage. I also used a sanding block to lightly sand the raised images. I trimmed down that panel, adhered it to silver foil and added it to the card base with craft foam. The sentiment was placed on an angle across the card. 

The two sunflower cards were embossed and ink was added to the sunflowers on the debossed side. Once that was finished, I dragged a dark brown ink pad across the paper, filling in the raised sections. I cut the large panel down to make two cards. Each section was adhered to holographic paper and adhered to a bamboo embossed background. The sentiments were die cut from bronze glitter paper and one was adhered to the same holographic paper and the other to dark green cardstock. I added some enamel gems around each card. 

Enjoy, 

Alyson

Alternate Zig Zag Fold Card

 I call this an "alternate" zig zag fold card because the folds don't line up (intentional). 

This one was made using some patterned papers from my stash. The front was decorated with flowers and leaves plus a folded ribbon. Inside the card, on the back of the woodgrain panel, there is a full panel to write a message. It folds flat for mailing to a standard A2 size. 

Enjoy,

Alyson

Be Merry Shaker Card

This set of mice is from a card event that I did last winter. They are so adorable! 

The inside of the shaker was stencilled with a cloud stencil and I left an open white hill at the bottom. That isn't easily visible in the photo. The shaker was filled with tiny silver stars and "snow". I stamped, coloured and die cut the images and arranged them around the shaker. The sentiment was die cut from red and green cardstock and placed at the bottom of the shaker. I chose to embed the shaker element into the card front so the front is flat. Clear Stickles were used on various parts of the images and I brushed the sentiment with a clear shimmer brush. 

Enjoy, 

Alyson

CIU339 - Autumn Blessings

 Welcome to Cut It Up Challenge 339!

The theme for this challenge is "looks like fall". 

I love the autumn season - the leaves here are very colourful and the outside temperatures are nice and cool. 

I ink blended a panel of white cardstock with Distress Oxide inks and die cut it with a leaf cover plate die. The gold leaves were die cut and arranged on the front, along with an embossed sentiment strip. The card front was adhered to dark green cardstock and then a gold glitter base. Easy! 

Come and join us at Cut It Up and show us how you interpret this challenge. 

You have until Monday, September 29 to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create!

Enjoy, 

Alyson

Friend with Umbrella

A friend recently gave me a super cute stamp set and it was time to use it! I stamped the image along with a single word sentiment at the bottom. I used my Copic Markers and some Sharpies to colour the image and the word and I blended yellow ink along the edges. The card front was adhered to a black mat and a pink card base. I used a fine tip marker to draw a line around the edge. Some clear gems were added to simulate raindrops. Inside the card, there is a sentiment that reads "You are my rainbow every single day."

Enjoy,

Alyson

Friendly Mice

 This card was created for a virtual crop weekend - one of the challenges was to use a certain card for inspiration. 

I masked off the card front into four sections and ink blended each of them in different colours. The mice and birds were stamped, coloured and die cut and added to the squares. I stamped sentiments in three of the boxes. The larger sentiments were stamped or embossed and placed at the bottom. The card front was adhered to the card base with craft foam. 

Enjoy,

Alyson

TSOT 679 - Funky Birdies

 Welcome to Try a Sketch on Tuesday Challenge 679!

The sketch is wide open - you can do anything as long as it involves doodles. 

I cannot draw - at all. Yesterday's blog post explains that a bit more. For this challenge, I revisited an old card style that I have made before... I had to practice drawing the peanut shapes many times to try and get them to be consistent but you can see that they are still all over the place! 

Once the bodies were drawn, I added legs to each creature with the fourth one holding up one leg. That's where the sentiment comes in - we all need to be ourselves! The letters were die cut from the same colours as the creatures and I adhered the card front to a black mat and then a white card base. 

Come and join us at TSOT and show us how you interpret this challenge. 

You have two weeks to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create!

Enjoy,

Alyson

DT 200 - Friend Doodles

 Welcome to Double Trouble Challenge 200!

It's all about the doodles this week. The small graphic is below. Please visit the Double Trouble Challenge Blog for detailed information.

I cannot draw. Period. I spent three days on some doodled cards and my frustration level was through the roof. Doodling is not something that I have ever done - not for fun, not as part of a challenge, never. 

This card is probably the fifteenth card that I tried to make and I am still not happy with it. I watched countless videos about doodling before trying this. I finally chose to make random doodles on a strip of white cardstock and colour some of them in various shades of pink. That panel was adhered to a black mat and then to an embossed card front. The sentiment was added at the bottom. 

This is another doodled card - one of my earlier attempts... 

Come and join us at Double Trouble and show us how you interpret this challenge. 

You have two weeks to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create! I hope doodling is easier for you than it was for me! 

Enjoy, 

Alyson

BB September - Smile in Autumn Colours

 Welcome to Beautiful Blossoms and our September challenge!

The inspiration photo is below. It is optional to use that but your project must be floral focused. 

I subscribe to a card making program and this stamp was from a recent class. My choice of colours were drawn from the inspiration photo. I stamped the same image on the top and bottom of white cardstock and used the coordinating stencils to colour them. The sentiment was stamped in the centre. I used a fine tip black marker to add small dots around the images and matted the card front to a black card base. Easy! 

Come and join us at Beautiful Blossoms and show us how you interpret this challenge. 

You have until October 12th to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create!

Enjoy,

Alyson

Bird Screen Card

 This card has four panels and folds flat for mailing (mini slimline size). 

I used a stamp and stencil set to create the panels. I arranged them in order and stamped the images over the cuts. The stencils were used to colour the images and I added a large sentiment on the third panel. I also splattered all the panels with gold paint. The base was die cut using a bracket die to create the "feet". 

Enjoy, 

Alyson

Mini Image Pyramid Block Card

 This was such a fun card to make! It folds flat for mailing so I didn't add any dimensional elements to it. 

I chose holographic paper to mat all the images. The images were stamped and coloured and I added Stickles to most of them for some shine. The sentiment was placed on the top centre panel and the other holiday images were arranged around the card. There is a full card base on the back so there is lots of room to write a message. 

Enjoy,

Alyson

Masculine Birthday Card

 This card design was based on one made by a SU Artisan member. 

I used strips of wallpaper for the coloured pieces. The background was embossed with a burlap embossing folder and the white piece was embossed with a subtle embossing folder. I arranged the strips across the white piece and added a stamped sentiment with twine underneath. Some clear gems were placed around the card. 

Enjoy, 

Alyson

CD 669 - Fabulous Day Acetate Card

 Welcome to Colour Dare Challenge 669!

There are only two colours to use for this challenge. Please check out the graphic below. 

I made an acetate card like this many moons ago but decided to revisit it since it is such a pretty design and it works perfectly with limited colours. 

I cut the card front and used a detailed die to add interest along the edges surrounding the acetate. I die cut several leaves and arranged them on the acetate piece and then adhered that to the back of the front panel. I had to place the same leaves on the back to cover all the adhesive and I added a second piece of white cardstock on the back of the panels above and below the acetate. The flowers were die cut from purple and mint with a silver centre and adhered around the leaves and the embossed sentiment was placed on the top section. 

Come and join us at Colour Dare and show us how you interpret this challenge. 

You have two weeks to link up your project.

We can't wait to see what you create!

Enjoy,

Alyson

Birthday Blessings Silhouette Card

 This card design was inspired by one made by a member of the Gina K Designs creative team. 

I masked off the card front and ink blended a background using turquoise and purple inks. I kept the masking paper in place and stamped the top two images and the butterfly with black ink. I used a white gel pen to add details to the images. The masking paper was removed and I stamped the sentiment. The card front was adhered to a black mat and then to a white card base with craft foam. 

Enjoy, 

Alyson

Sympathy Silhouette Card

 This card is from the 30 Minute Card Making Stash Dash. 

The parameters for this card were as follows: Type of Card: shaped card, Colour(s): ombre, Embellishment: metallic, Technique: crafter's choice and Sentiment: sympathy or no sentiment. 

It didn't take me long to make this card - less than 15 minutes. I ink blended (technique) a piece of white cardstock with shades of yellow or orange Distress Oxide inks (ombre). I dried that piece, die cut it using a stitched border die (shaped card) and then stamped and embossed the images and sentiment (sympathy). Some gold gems (metallic) were placed around the card.

Enjoy, 

Alyson

Trio of Ornaments

There are some holiday products of mine that haven't seen the light of day for some time... this is one of them.

I pulled out a large ornament die and die cut three ornaments. Each was adhered to a different coloured base (blue glitter cardstock or silver foil) and I paper pieced several additional pieces into the shape. That took forever! Once the ornaments were complete, I added the hanging piece at the top and arranged them on a piece of white shimmer paper with silver thread. The card front was adhered to a dark blue mat and then a lighter blue card base. I added a hot foiled sentiment in the centre and some silver gems around the ornaments. 

Enjoy, 

Alyson

Friendship Mums

I love the layering floral dies from Honey Bee Stamps - this is my most recent purchase. 

I die cut all the pieces from white cardstock and inked them using shades of pink and green. I also splattered them with water and shaped them before assembling the flowers. The background was hot foiled in silver and I added a die cut scalloped frame around the edge. The flowers were arranged on the front and I added a sentiment across the bottom. The card front was adhered to a black base. 

Enjoy,

Alyson

Perhaps Christmas Means a Little Bit More...

 My Grinch stamp set has received some more attention with this card. 

The sentiment was stamped in red and die cut. I stamped the grinch face and on green cardstock and again on white where I coloured and fussy cut the eyes. They were pieced back onto the green face and I added the Santa hat in an ornament frame on the right side of the card. Everything was set on a die cut backgound (maze design). I added clear Stickles to the hat's rim and pompom. 

Enjoy, 

Alyson

Hello Hexagon Card

 This is such a pretty card and I love how it turned out! 

The background was lightly inked with turquoise ink and then embossed with a subtle embossing folder. The hexagons were die cut and arranged on the card front using foam tape. The tiny flowers and leaves were added in and around the hexagons and I stamped a sentiment and placed it under one of the hexagons. I added some clear gems and turquoise Liquid Pearls to the front and also added white Liquid Pearls to the centres of the flowers. 

Enjoy, 

Alyson

AH 646 - Autumn Birthday

Welcome to Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge 646!

The sketch is shown below. 

I chose a paper pack from scrapbook.com and cut several paper pieces to be 1/2" wide. I arranged them as per the sketch. The stitched outline was die cut and added on top. I die cut the sentiment pieces and adhered them to coloured vellum and two small bows were placed at the top left of the sentiment piece. Gold gems were added around the card. 

Come and join us at Atlantic Hearts and show us how you interpret this challenge. 

You have until Sunday evening to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create!

Enjoy, 

Alyson 

DD Sept - Birthday Flowers

 Welcome to Dragonfly Dreams and our September challenge!

The theme for this challenge is Happy Birthday. 

I made a fairly simple birthday card. The background was lightly ink blended around the edges and I placed three dotted squares on the left side. The daisy image was die cut from white, yellow and green cardstock and I pieced the cut outs into the white outline. Happy was stamped and birthday was die cut x2 and stacked on vellum. A blue gem was placed in the centre of each daisy and I brushed the coloured pieces with a clear shimmer brush. The card front was adhered to a white card base with craft foam.

Come and join us at Dragonfly Dreams and show us how you interpret this challenge. 

You have until the end of the month to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create!

Enjoy, 

Alyson

You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch

I purchased a Grinch stamp set almost a year ago and am finally getting around to using it. I love the Grinch! I CASEd this card from one found on Pinterest. 

I die cut a circle and ink blended that wth a blue-green ink and splattered it with water. The small branches were inked in two shades of green and adhered around the circle. The ornament and Grinch hand are actually one stamp but I fussy cut the images and opted to draw the line instead. The sentiment was stamped at the bottom and the card front was adhered to an inked piece of cardstock. I added Stickles to various parts of the image.  

Enjoy, 

Alyson