For Witches & Wizards

You'd better get your shades out for today's card! I thought I'd be clever and combine a few challenges. I used the Polka Dot Paradise Color Challenge from Embellish Magazine, the sketch challenge from Crazy 4 Challenges, and The Gradient is Radiant Moxie Fab World Blog Challenge. Whew!

So, here's my card.. playing more with the new Off Beat Backgrounds from Waltzingmouse Stamps. (If you haven't visited the new store yet, you'd better hurry! You're missing fabulous new stamps!)


I used the funky chevron stamp to create some out-of-this-world patterned paper! Woo!
I also used the polka dot and faux stitches stamps from the set. The pumpkin and circle sentiment is from the Halloween Party set (which is now back in stock). The circles were cut with my Nestabilities and then I added some rhinestones.

These background stamps are *fun*! I know this card is a little over-the-top, but if I can't be silly every once in a while, what's the point, right? ;)

Hope you enjoy it, even if you did need your sunglasses. Talk soon!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Off Beat Backgrounds, Halloween Party - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Bravo Burgundy, Tangerine Tango - SU!; Vintage Cream, Summer Sunrise - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Bravo Burgundy, Cranberry Crisp, Tangerine Tango, Pumpkin Pie, Marigold Morning - SU!; Antique Linen, Vintage Photo Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: Classic Circle and Pinking Circle Nestabilities - Spellbinders; Clear adhesive rhinestones - Michaels; Copic markers

Waltzingmouse Stamps!

Ooh I've been keeping this secret for so long!

Claire Brennan of Waltzingmouse Stamps has opened a fabulous new webstore and has chosen ME to be on her Design Team! I am beside myself and so over the moon about this! I absolutely LOVE Claire's stamps and I am so excited about this opportunity!

Today I am sharing a card made using Off Beat Backgrounds (just released today!) and Very Vintage Christmas.

I used the plaid stamp from Off Beat Backgrounds to create my own plaid background. Oh, how I love plaid. This stamp is textured and creates the illusion of fabric - very realistic! I stamped the plaid in Spring Moss, Old Olive, Aqua Mist, and Not Quite Navy inks. Then I trimmed it down and inked the edges with Antique Linen Distress Ink. Another thing I love about this set (I know, I can't stop!) is that the stamps are quite large. They average about 6 inches long, which more than covers a normal card size. I love that. Anyway, back to the card..

The Warm Wishes sentiment was stamped onto an oval I had cut with my Nestabilities. I curved the sentiment just slightly to fit nice and snug in there. The holly piece was stamped right onto some extra plaid I had and then trimmed. I accented the oval with a shape I had cut from the Labels Four Nestabilities. I just trimmed the middle out and added it to the top and bottom for a nice little frame. Added a few more finishing touches like stitching, distressing and blinging! This little cutie is a 4-1/4 inch square.

So what to do you think? Excited to check out the new Waltzingmouse Stamps store? While you're at it, cruise on over and visit the other Design Team members. Let me tell you, I am humbled to be a part of this amazing group.

Belinda Chang Langner
Bonnie Sharp
Julia Aston
Laurie Schmidlin

There is much more to come, so please stop back soon!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Off Beat Backgrounds, Very Vintage Christmas - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Vintage Cream, Spring Moss - Papertrey Ink; Old Olive - SU!
Ink: Spring Moss, Aqua Mist - Papertrey Ink; Old Olive, Not Quite Navy - SU!; Antique Linen, Vintage Photo Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: Petite Oval Nestabilities, Labels Four Nestabilities - Spellbinders; Silver adhesive pearls - Michaels; sewing machine

Just A Note

Hello again everyone!

Today's card is for Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge. Loving these so much! Here is the sketch:



And here is my card:


The main image is a transparency from the Collage ATC Transparencies from Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps. Cool, isn't it?

I trimmed a piece of Vintage Cream cardstock the same size as the transparency image and used some Distress inks to create the blended background (this is one of my favorite techniques). I used a gold pen to add some highlights to the back of the transparency so that they would show through the front. So easy to create a fantastic focal image!

The patterned paper is from K&Company. I trimmed it and used my quilters tracing wheel to add some faux stitching. The ribbon is from SU!; I tucked the sentiment (also from Prickley Pear) into the knot. I love the autumn feel of the colors.

Thanks for stopping by, there's more fun to come!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Just a Note - Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps
Cardstock: Vintage Cream - Papertrey Ink; Sage Shadow, Chocolate Chip - SU!
Patterned Paper: Light Green Decorative Bronzed Paper (for Ancestry.com) - K&Company
Ink: True Black - Papertrey Ink; Brushed Corduroy, Spiced Marmalade, Dried Maragold, Old Paper - Ranger
Other: Collage ATC Transparencies - Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps; Chocolate Chip satin ribbon - SU!; Quilter's tracing wheel; gold leaf pen

Halloween Party Invite

Happy Friday!

My week at the lake is ending, and tomorrow I head back home. I am looking forward to it.. I'm a homebody at heart.

Today I have a fun Halloween Party Invitation to share with you! This was so easy to make using Waltzingmouse Stamps Halloween Party set. The invite is formatted as a pocket card.


The outside is a piece of Elegant Eggplant cardstock, folded up and sewn around the two outside edges and the bottom. The patterned paper is Macabre from Cosmo Cricket's Haunted Collection. I added a strip of Dusty Durango cardstock that I had punched with the Upper Crest punch and then distressed with Dusty Concord Distress Ink. I added the Spider Web that I had cut with a Martha Stewart punch to finish it off. The 'Invitation To A,' 'Halloween Party,' and the spider are all separate stamps from the set. They were stamped onto a piece of Vintage Cream, and I stitched and distressed the edges. I added some black rhinestones to the spider bodies. Fun, huh?

Here's a photo of the invitation, removed from the card:

This little poem is part of the set - isn't it great? I love the font. I stamped each section and then stamped a coordinating image from the set. I love it - so easy! I added another spider, distressed the edges a bit and then added a strip of True Black twill and a Plum Pudding button. I've always wanted to have a Halloween costume party!

Thanks for stopping by today - keep in touch, I've got lots of fun stuff and exciting news to share! Have a great day!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Halloween Party - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Elegant Eggplant, Dusty Durango, Basic Black - SU!; Vintage Cream - Papertrey Ink
Patterned Paper: Macabre (Haunted Collection) - Cosmo Cricket
Ink: True Black - Papertrey Ink; Antique Linen, Dusty Concord Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: Upper Crest border punch - Fiskars; Spider Web edge punch - Martha Stewart; True Black Twill, Plum Pudding button - Papertrey Ink; edge distresser; sewing machine; black adhesive rhinestones

For You

Hi everyone,

I have another very easy card to share with you today. I used Very Vintage Christmas from Waltzingmouse Stamps. Versatile for more than just Christmas projects!


The decorative square was stamped four times in red, blue and brown. I punched each of them out with a 3/4-inch square punch, which is a perfect fit. I added some twine to the card, leaving a space for the sentiment. Then I added an adhesive pearl to the center of each of the squares and adhered them to the card with foam tape. I stamped the sentiment and was finished - ten minutes tops. Simple, easy, and versatile! Just think of all the color combinations.

Thank you for your visit today, always love to hear from you!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Very Vintage Christmas - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Kraft, Dark Chocolate, Pure Poppy, Spring Rain - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Dark Chocolate, Pure Poppy, Spring Rain - Papertrey Ink
Other: Linen thread - SU; Adhesive pearls - Michaels

Happy for You

Hey girlies!

Easy peasy card to share today. I love the look of embossing so I used some die cut shapes to create a faux embossed card.

For your viewing pleasure (you can click to enlarge):


The card base is Soft Stone, and I punched the outside edge with the Fiskars Upper Crest punch. The pink is Sweet Blush. The butterflies are cut from the same color, using the Beautiful Butterflies SU! die. They are simply layered on the card.. I just trimmed the overlap. I covered two of the butterflies with glitter and added some rhinestones. These are adhered using foam tape. The sentiment is from Vintage Picnic Sentiments and was stamped with Versamark Pink Petunia.

Hope you like it! Thanks for stopping by.

Here's a photo from the other day.. have a great night!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Vintage Picnic Sentiments - Papetrey Ink
Cardstock: Sweet Blush, Soft Stone - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Pink Petunia - Versamark
Other: Rhinestones - K&Company; glitter; Beautiful Butterflies die - SU!

Showers of Blessings

What a lovely evening. I am sitting on the porch of the house we are renting on the lake. It is very quiet save for a few buggy noises and some ducks... so nice.

Today's card is another that I made for a magazine submission that was not picked up. Simple little thing using Scattered Showers.


The card base is Scarlet Jewel followed by a piece of Lavender Moon from the 2008 Bitty Box Basics patterned paper collection. I added a strip of Lemon Tart, Lavender Moon, and Scarlet Jewel that had been punched with the Apron Lace border punch.

The umbrella top was stamped in Scarlet Jewel onto Lemon Tart, trimmed and adhered to the card. The sentiment and umbrella handle were both stamped right onto the patterned paper. Simple, easy card. This was a sketch challenge, so I have a few other cards I have yet to share that I made following this sketch.

Thanks for visiting tonight - I hope you have a peaceful evening.

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Scattered Showers - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Scarlet Jewel, Lavender Moon, Lemon Tart - Papertrey Ink
Patterned Paper: Lavender Moon from the 2008 Bitty Box Basics patterned paper collection - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Scarlet Jewel, Dark Chocolate - Papertrey Ink
Other: Scarlet Jewel button - Papertrey Ink; Apron Lace border punch - Fiskars

Merry Halloween

Hello from the Lake!

This week, I am blogging from Chatauqua Lake in western New York. I am here to relax, recharge, retreat..

I have a stash of projects that I worked on so that I was able to continue to share stuff here on my blog while away from home. Today's project was a very quick one, pulled from my goody bag of stuff from Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps. Included was a sheet of full-color vintage Halloween images which are brand-spankin' new to PPRS. I will update the link with more info when they are posted to the store.

I used the sketch for this week's Crazy 4 Challenges sketch challenge for some quick inspiration.

Here's the sketch:

And here's my card:


I love this image! I matted it to a piece of Summer Sunrise cardstock that had been cut with my pinking blade. I inked the edges with Tea Dye Distress Ink and stitched around the image.

The patterned paper is from My Mind's Eye and the trim was from my local fabric store. The card base is Enchanted Evening. Have I ever mentioned how much I love the color combination of Enchanted Evening, Black, and Summer Sunrise?? No, I didn't think so.. ;)

Stick around - there's more fun to come! I hope you have a great day!

#Anya

Recipe:
Cardstock: Enchanted Evening, Summer Sunrise - Papertrey Ink
Patterned Paper: Vintage Halloween Image - Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps; Toil and Trouble (The Spider's Web Collection) - My Mind's Eye
Other: Tea Dye Distress Ink - Ranger; Pom Pom Trim - JoAnn Fabrics; Enchanted Evening button - Papertrey Ink; pinking blade for rotary paper trimmer - Fiskars; sewing machine

Merry Pink Christmas!

Four letters sums it up: TGIF!

I have a fun pinky Christmas card to share with you today that I made for Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge. Here is this week's sketch:


And here is my card, which uses the fantastic Very Vintage Christmas set from Waltzingmouse Stamps.


I used a mirror image of the sketch, but kept everything else as it was (for once!). Let me just take a moment to swoon over the long decorative borders that come in this stamp set. This card uses both of them: the double stripe and the swirly decorative border. These two borders both measure approximately 6-3/4 inches long! Which means you don't have to line them up to continue them up or across your card (you could even stamp on a diagonal for a smaller card!). However, the pattern on the decorative border is such that one end 'nests' into the other, so if you did need to extend it, it would be so easy! I love the thoughtful design.

The background was stamped in Versamark Champagne Dazzle onto Sweet Blush cardstock. The snowflake panel was stamped and then stitched. The Merry Christmas panel was stamped once in Bravo Burgundy (Scarlet Jewel and I were not getting along for some reason) and then cut out using a Nestability die. I stamped the image a second time in Hibiscus Burst and just cut out the Merry Christmas. I added a few jewels and some ribbon and called it a night. This card had been floating around in my head for a few days now and I just couldn't quite get it. I initially stamped my background in three colors (Bravo Burgundy, Hibiscus Burst, and Raspberry Fizz) but when I put it all together it was WAY too busy. I really did love that background, though, and I saved it to use it on something simpler. Here's what that looked like, just so you can see what else you can do with these borders.

Pretty!

Thanks for the visit today! I will see you soon!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Very Vintage Christmas - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Sweet Blush, SS White - Papertrey Ink; Bravo Burgundy - SU!
Ink: Bravo Burgundy - SU!; Hibiscus Burst - Papertrey Ink; Bella Toile - Palette; Versamark Champagne Dazzle - Tsukineko
Other: Sweet Blush satin ribbon - Papertrey Ink; Adhesive rhinestones - K&Company; Classic Circle Nestabilities - Spellbinders; sewing machine

Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps

Hello blogland!

Just a quickie post tonight - I am so excited to share that I have been chosen for the Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps Design Team! I can't wait to start creating! Please hop on over to the website and check them out. Life has been a little overwhelming recently, so I am grateful for the opportunities I have for creative distraction. I will be back with more tomorrow. Have a lovely evening!

#Anya

Giving Thanks

Hello friends! It is a beautiful day here in Pittsburgh... big puffy clouds and the hint of a breeze. I have my office window open and I'm looking forward to getting outside. I love fall!

Today I'd like to share with you the final card in my Autumn Abundance trio.

Here is the first and second if you're interested in seeing them.

And my final installment: ;)


I followed my theme, using the sunflower image this time and changing out the cardstock for Enchanted Evening. The sentiment is from Vintage Picnic Sentiments. I stamped each word separately to keep with the same layout of the sentiments. I like that each of the sentiments came from a different stamp set, yet fit right in with the group.

Feast your eyes on this, the trio:


Aren't they so pretty all together like that? I just love it.

Do any of you ever have a favorite creation that you set up on a shelf or something just so you can look at it? I do! I set these three beauties up on my bookshelf all together so I could admire them. Making cards makes me happy! :)

I am also excited to share that my sister-in-law had her baby yesterday. We welcomed little Jacob into the family right around lunch time! Both mom and baby are doing well, and I hope to see them soon!

I hope you are having a great day where you are and that you have some time to be creative. I'm glad you came to visit me!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Autumn Abundance, Vintage Picnic Sentiments - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Vintage Cream, Enchanted Evening - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento - Tsukineko; Antique Linen Distress - Ranger
Other: Copic markers; Heidi Swapp distresser; white gel pen - Uniball; sewing machine

Happy Trick or Treating!

Good morning everyone!

I am very excited to share my project with you for this month's Serendipity Stamps DT challenge. Our theme was 'Halloween' - and boy does Serendipity have loads of Halloween stamps!


I decided to use the Costume Kids and Happy Trick or Treating stamps (you can purchase these together in a set) to create a luminary. These luminaries are so simple! I used a strip of vellum (4-1/4 by 11), stamped my images, and then adhered the ends together. I added some additional cardstock to the top and bottom to jazz it up a bit, but that is certainly not necessary. I can't take credit for this great idea - Claire Brennan is the luminary queen!

Here is a photo of it lit up. Please use a battery-powered votive for this part! :)


Wouldn't a load of these all around your house be so festive? I encourage you to give it a try - they are fun and easy! Check out the selection of Halloween stamps available at Serendipity - there are many more designs that would be great for this project!

And since one project isn't enough, I made a card to go along. This uses the same Costume Kids image and this time I used the Happy Boo Day sentiment. The sketch is loosely based on Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge from last week.


The image was stamped in Tuxedo Black Memento and colored with Copics. I used a Sakura Stardust gelly roll pen to add some sparkle to the image as well as the sentiment. This image is fun to color!

I hope you enjoyed my project for this month's challenge! Please make sure to visit the other DT members to see what they've cooked up!

Amy
Jennifer
Kathie
Kelli
Lynda
Sue
Yvonne

And don't forget that Serendipity also sponsors a Reader Challenge in conjunction with the DT Challenge. Check out the Serendipity Stamps Blog and Gallery for more information - play along with us and you could win one of Serendipity's great stamp sets!

Have a great day!

#Anya

Recipe:
Luminary:
Stamps: Costume Kids, Happy Trick or Treating - Serendipity Stamps
Cardstock: Linen Vellum, True Black - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Jet Black Archival Ink - Ranger
Other: Spiderweb punch - Martha Stewart Crafts

Happy Boo Day Card:
Stamps: Costume Kids, Happy Boo Day - Serendipity Stamps
Cardstock: White, True Black - Papertrey Ink; Vintage Violet - SU!
Patterned: Fall Festival Stripes - Bo Bunny
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento - Tsukineko
Other: Pinking blade for Rotary paper cutter - Fiskars; Copic markers; Stardust Gelly Roll pen - Sakura

Just a Little Witch

Well, its Monday again. I'm not very enthusiastic, but tomorrow is another Serendipity Stamps Design Team challenge, so that is something to look forward to!

As a little preview, I thought I would share a card I made for this Saturday's challenge on the Crazy 4 Challenges blog. It is another sketch challenge (my favorite!)


And here's my card:


This little cutie is the Witch Silhouette stamp from Serendipity. I stamped her onto Spring Moss cardstock with Jet Black Archival Ink. I added some Rock Candy Stickles to her hat, treat bucket, and shoes. It is difficult to tell in the photo, but it gives a great vintage glass glitter look to things. I should have glittered her robe too!

This sketch was a fun one, and a great way to use some patterned paper (supply info is below in the recipe). I love mixing and matching.

And before I go, I want to show you one last thing. I found this fantastically wonderful little cutie on my porch last night. My mom, inspired by the stuffed felt skeleton dolls on the cover of the most recent issue of Cloth, Paper, Scissors, made me this:


IT IS FRIDA KAHLO! (Fun fact about Anya: I love Frida Kahlo, I love skeletons, and am completely fascinated with anything having to do with Dia de los Muertos). I just fell in love with it (and would have known it was Frida even if she hadn't told me). I think it is just fantastic.

I hope you have a great evening. Come back tomorrow to see what I made for the Serendipity Stamps September Design Team Challenge!

Take care!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Witch Silhouette - Serendipity Stamps
Cardstock: Spring Moss, SS White - Papertrey Ink; Pumpkin Pie - SU
Patterned Paper: (Houndstooth) Norm's News - October Afternoon; (Orange dots and Black with pumpkins) Frightful Collection - Little Yellow Bicycle
Ink: Jet Black Archival Ink, Old Paper Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: Sewing machine, Pinking blade for rotary cutter

Everybody Loves Pumpkins!

Hey Everyone!

One of my cards is featured on the Serendipity Stamps Blog today using the Tall Pumpkins stamp. The Design Team has been loving this stamp - go check it out!

I'll be back tomorrow with more Serendipity Stamps leading up to our DT challenge on Tuesday.

Hope you'll stop back!

#Anya

Witchy Boo!

Yay! Happy Friday! I need another weekend, how about you?

Today I have another (Halloween!) card to share with you that I made for Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge. I really liked this sketch!

Here's my witchy card:


Isn't she awesome?! The witch silhouette, bats, and pumpkins, all from the Halloween Party stamp set (from Waltzingmouse Stamps), were stamped onto Vintage Cream cardstock in True Black. Then I crumpled the image up, flattened it back out and inked it up with Old Paper Distress Ink.

The green panel is my own custom patterned paper, created using a combination of Background Basics: Text Style, Spooky Sweets II, and some machine stitching. I did a little crumpling and inking of that panel as well. The sentiment was stamped onto a strip of Vintage Cream and then slipped under the main image panel. I stamped Witchy's spell over both pieces and then added some rhinestones.

The background, stamped onto Plum Pudding, is an old retired stamp from SU called Filigree. I thought it was the perfect compliment to the witchiness! What do you think? I haven't been able to put these stamps down recently - they are so fun to play with! I hope you can handle the overdose of Halloween so early! :) Fancy a close-up?


I hope your weekend is fantastic - I have some stampy projects I want to find time to work on, and I could use the escape!

See you soon!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Halloween Party - Waltzingmouse Stamps; Background Basics: Text Style, Spooky Sweets II - Papertrey Ink; Filigree - SU
Cardstock: Plum Pudding, Ripe Avocado, Spring Moss, Vintage Cream - Papertrey Ink
Ink: True Black - Papertrey Ink; Old Paper Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: Machine stitching; clear adhesive rhinestones

PTI Princesses Challenge

Hi everyone! I hope your Thursday is going well.

Today I am sharing a card that I made for the Papertrey Princesses most recent challenge. The Papertrey Princesses is a blog group that I joined on the Papertrey Forum. We hold casual bi-weekly challenges to keep the inspiration and motivation coming. As a part of the group, we visit each other's blogs and comment and encourage each other - what could be better than that? Belinda was the challenge hostess this time around and she chose three lovely dresses from Anthropologie for an inspiration challenge. I looked at each picture and jotted some notes down (colors, patterns) about each. Ultimately, my inspiration came from this dress, particularly the bodice.


I noted the 'cloud' pattern as well as the light blue flowers on the bodice. The clouds got me thinking of Dawn's Scattered Showers Additions set and this is what I came up with:


I went a little scissor happy on this one! :) I stamped the sun first and then the clouds all around it. I did a little masking for the clouds, and some of them are cut out and popped up. The same is the case for the blue flowers. I love making these little 'scenes'! A new Papertrey Princesses Challenge will be posted tomorrow, and I am looking forward to it! Until then, its back to the Halloween cards! ;)

Have a great night - thank you so much for stopping by!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Scattered Showers Additions - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: SS White - Papertrey Ink; Bashful Blue - SU
Ink: Summer Sunrise, Ripe Avocado, True Black - Papertrey Ink; Going Gray, Bashful Blue - SU Other: Adhesive rhinestones - Amuse

Hey Pumpkin!

Hey pumpkins! ;) Last night I had some fun with the newest Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge. Still loving the feeling of fall and Halloween (it is still almost 80 degrees here in Pittsburgh, but now it feels like fall is right on our doorstep). Here is the sketch:


And here's my card!


(I love it!)

The card is 4-1/4 square, so it is a little different than the rectangle sketch.

The stamps are from the Cosmo Cricket Haunted Collection. (Have I mentioned that I have a thing for vintage Halloween?) The little pumpkin was stamped in Tangerine Tango ink onto Tangerine Tango cardstock and then cut out. His other pumpkin parts were stamped onto various colors of cardstock and then cut out. One of his eyes and his mouth are popped up. I loved the mixed-up crazy look! 'Hey Pumpkin' was stamped repeatedly in Pumpkin Pie ink onto Summer Sunrise cardstock. The background is a combo of the bat and star, stamped randomly in True Black onto Enchanted Evening. I finished it off with some Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

What do you think? Fun color combo too!

Well it is Wednesday, and the week is half over. I could go for a 4-day work week every week. Hope you are having a great day! See you tomorrow!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Clear acrylic stamps from the Haunted Collection - Cosmo Cricket
Cardstock: True Black, Enchanted Evening, Summer Sunrise - Papertrey Ink; Tangerine Tango - SU
Ink: True Black - Papertrey Ink; Pumpkin Pie, Tangerine Tango, Sahara Sand - SU; Vintage Photo Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: White Signo gel pen - Uniball

Crazy 4 Challenges!

Hi everyone!

Have you seen the new Crazy 4 Challenges blog? New challenges are posted every Saturday - this past Saturday the 5th was the first challenge - a sketch!



Here's my card:



I used the Quilted Pumpkin stamp from Serendipity Stamps. The image was stamped onto PTI Vintage Cream and then colored with Copics. The patterned paper is from the retired Apple Cider paper collection from SU. The sentiment is from PTI's 2009 Autumn Tags set.

I encourage you to check out the Crazy 4 Challenges blog - sometimes a little challenge is just what you need to get the mojo going!

Have a great day! See you tomorrow!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Quilted Pumpkin - Serendipity Stamps; 2009 Autumn Tags - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Vintage Cream - Papertrey Ink; Textured Really Rust, River Rock - SU
Patterned Paper: Apple Cider (retired) - SU
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento - Tsukineko; Really Rust - SU
Other: Copic markers; Paper piercer; Twill; Classic and Scalloped Circle Nestabilities

Trick or Treat?

Good evening friends!

I am going to sneak this post in just in the nick of time for Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge. I discovered these sketch challenges from a link on Shannan Teubner's blog (she is one of my sweet Serendipity friends) and thought it would be fun to play along. The more challenges the better!

Here is this week's sketch:


And here is my card. I used Halloween Party from Waltzingmouse Stamps.


I turned the sketch on its side and used three creepy cauldrons - aren't they fun? The patterned paper is Spellbound from Making Memories. I pulled the colors from there for the rest of my card. The reverse side of this paper is very much like the other patterned paper I used, except I stamped that myself! I thought it would be fun to do a little background building, so I used Background Basics: Text Style, the spider web from Spooky Sweets II and the spider from Halloween Party to create the design. I crumpled my paper and added some distress ink to give it a nice worn look. The Trick or Treat sentiment is also from Halloween Party. I love it!

Thanks for stopping by this evening - I hope you enjoyed your long weekend. Take care!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Halloween Party - Waltzingmouse Stamps; Background Basics: Text Style, Spooky Sweets II - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: True Black, Ripe Avocado, Vintage Cream - Papertrey Ink; Tangerine Tango - SU
Patterned Paper: Spellbound - Making Memories
Ink: True Black, Ripe Avocado - Papertrey Ink; Elegant Eggplant, Tangerine Tango - SU; Old Paper, Black Soot Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: Classic Circle, Pinking Circle Nestabilities - Spellbinders; clear adhesive rhinestones - Michaels; Spica and Copic markers - Copic

Joyeux Noel

Hi everyone! I have another card to share with you today that I made for one of the holiday challenges on the Moxie Fab World blog.


The holiday tag stamp is from the Very Vintage Christmas set by Waltzingmouse Stamps. Claire's sets are fantastic, and I just couldn't resist this with the beautiful tag image and build-it-yourself snowflakes (I also picked up the Halloween Party stamp set as well).

The tag was stamped in Bravo Burgundy. The snowflake and sentiment were stamped with Distress Inks. The background is three strips of Cosmo Cricket paper from the Oh Joy Collection. These were matted on a piece of Sage Shadow cardstock and stitched (I used the same sketch as I did for this card). The card base is Vintage Cream. Loved using these stamps!

Hope you have a great evening!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Very Vintage Christmas - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Vintage Cream - Papertrey Ink; Sage Shadow - SU
Patterned Paper: Merry and Bright, Frosty, and Yuletide from the Oh Joy Collection - Cosmo Cricket
Ink: Bravo Burgundy, Sage Shadow - SU; Vintage Photo, Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: Scarlet Jewel Satin Ribbon and Vintage Button - Papertrey Ink; Sewing machine

Thankful Hearts

Happy Friday! Oh the joy of a long weekend.. it is amazing what a difference a day makes! I plan on doing nothing.

Today's card is for Dawn's RSCC Challenge 16. These are such fantastic autumn colors.


Aren't they beautiful? Here's my card.


The background stamp, which is from First Fruits, was stamped onto a piece of Rustic Cream cardstock with Sahara Sand ink. This is one of the closest matches to Kraft that I have! I added some dots here and there with the smallest dot from Polka Dot Basics just to bring in another color and add some interest. I stitched around the edges, then distressed them and inked them a bit.

The bundle of wheat (goodness, isn't this a fantastic stamp? I almost died when I saw this card that Melissa Phillips made using it. One of my all-time favorites) was inked up in Summer Sunrise and then rock 'n rolled with Dark Chocolate. I cut it out, inked and curled the edges and then sprayed it with my mini mister of Perfect Gold Perfect Pearls to give it some shimmer (you'll have to trust me). I added a little rhinestone and that was it!

The card measures 3.75 by 4.25 - just a little cutie that would be perfect at a place setting.

Thank you for your visit today. If you're here in the US, I hope you enjoy your long weekend. I usually don't post over the weekend but I have another card I made for the Moxie Fab World holiday challenge, so I will pop in to post that. I hope you have a wonderful night!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: First Fruits - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Dark Chocolate, Kraft, Vintage Cream - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Dark Chocolate, Summer Sunrise - Papertrey Ink; Sahara Sand - SU
Other: Perfect Gold Perfect Pearls - Ranger; sewing machine; adhesive rhinestone

Happy, Happy!

..Joy, Joy! Do you remember Ren & Stimpy? The show wasn't very stimulating, but as a kid I thought it was a riot. Even my Dad would share a laugh with us once in a while. Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy always makes me think of the show. Anyway, I digress (don't ask me where that all came from)...

Today's card was made for a friend of my husband's who celebrated his birthday last week. Sometimes I enjoy making guy cards - its a bit of a challenge, you know?


I totally fell in love with stamping black ink onto Enchanted Evening cardstock after I saw this card from Niki Estes. I just love the colors together.

The notebook paper stamp is from an old Inque Boutique mini set called Mini Note. It was stamped onto SS White in Going Gray ink. Inque Boutique is no longer in business (sad face) but my local Pat Catan's has had their sets in stock and on sale. The rest of the card info is below in the recipe - the small cluster of stars in the top left is from Out on a Limb Additions. Love those black and blue stars!

So glad to see you! Have a fantastic evening!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Star Prints, Out on a Limb Additions, Birthday Basics - Papertrey Ink; Mini Note - Inque Boutique
Cardstock: Enchanted Evening, SS White - Papertrey Ink; Basic Grey - SU
Ink: True Black - Papertrey Ink; Going Gray - SU
Other: Star punch - SU; Heidi Swapp edge distresser

You're a Classic!

Hello, my lovely blog readers! How are you today?

Today I have a fun Dad card to share with you. My Dad's birthday was last week (we share the same birthday :) and this card was perfect for him. He loves hot rods, and as soon as I saw this set from Bombshell Stamps, I knew it would be great for guy cards. It is called Speed Shop and is in their Hot Rod Classic Collection. Fun!

I also made a little notebook to go along with it.

The background paper was created by randomly stamping all the stamps from the set. I just stamped 'em all over to give that collage effect. I stamped half a sheet of cardstock and had enough for both projects. The cars were colored with Copics and highlighted with the Spica markers. I also added some stitching, distressing and ink. The inside of the card says 'Happy Birthday to a real Classic!' Oh, I am so clever ;)

All the supplies I used are listed below in the recipe.

Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by today - I would love to hear from you!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Speed Shop - Bombshell Stamps; Psychadelic Grunge, Mini Muse - Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous; Sanded - Stampin' Up!
Cardstock: Soft Stone - Papertrey Ink
Patterned Paper: Stampin' Up! (retired)
Ink: Going Gray - Stampin' Up!; Old Paper Distress Ink - Ranger; Tuxedo Black Memento - Tsukineko
Other: Markers and Spica pens - Copic; Bind-It-All - Zutter; Glossy Accents - Ranger; Machine stitching

Happy Fall

Welcome to September! No, I don't know where the time went either. Blink and it is gone.

Today's card is the second in my series of Autumn Abundance cards! As soon as I saw this set of stamps, I pictured a little group of notecards. I posted the first the week before last.


I followed the same recipe as on my previous card, exchanging the orange cardstock for Scarlet Jewel. Such a pretty color. (I also love the stitching). I do have a third card planned and can't wait to photograph the group! The sentiment on this one is from the 2009 Autumn Tags set.

It certainly is feeling like fall and the first day of school around here. I don't have children of my own, but there's just a feeling in the air when it is back to school time. I do notice a difference in traffic, though...

Tonight I am heading to my sister-in-law's house. She is expecting a little boy in a few weeks and we are going to work together to put the finishing touches on the birth announcements. I am really looking forward to spending time with her and my niece. I hope you have a great evening too!

Take care!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Autumn Abundance, 2009 Autumn Tags - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Vintage Cream, Scarlet Jewel - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento - Tsukineko; Antique Linen Distress - Ranger
Other: Copic markers; Heidi Swapp distresser; white gel pen - Uniball; sewing machine