Zentangle Challenge #110 - Outside the box

I haven't had time to play along with Laura's Zentangle challenge at I am the Diva in quite a while...well, technically, I've played along some of the time, just never got my tangles posted.  This week's challenge is to:

"find something way out of your comfort box.  If you shy away from colour, now is a good time to try it... if you always do something small, try something big.  If you always do a larger piece, try a few teeny tiny ones.  Maybe you've never tried a zendala. Maybe you've never tangled an object and those bookends have been staring at you saying: "TANGLE ME"..."

So, that's what I did.  I had purchased a few ceramic tiles from Home Depot months ago thinking that I would make some coasters with decoupage, but I never got around to it...then when I saw this challenge, I thought I'd try doing a few tangles on a tile.  I think I probably will have to heat set it in the oven or something...not sure what...to keep the pen from smudging off (even though I used a microperm pen from Sakura)...I'd hate for it to smudge!  Anyway, I digress...here's my tile for this week's "out of the box" challenge.  This first one was taking with the tile lying flat.

This second one I stood the tile on one edge to take the photo.

I couldn't figure out how to do any shading, so I'll have to leave them as is.  So...what do you think....should I heat set them or try spraying some type of fixative on them?

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your comments and your visits are always appreciated!! Until next time...

Hugs!

LIM111 - Frame It... (& CASology - Extraterrestrial)

I missed getting my cards posted for last week's challenge at Less is More...got them made, just never got them posted.  I'm trying to do better this week.  The challenge this week from Chrissie and Jen at Less is More is to create a card that has a "frame" on it (while keeping it clean and simple).

I've been in a card-making frenzy today and I've completed several cards with frames.  Off we go...

I think this first card is my favorite...don't know when I might need a wedding card, but you never know.  The image is a digital image (I believe it was from "Sylvie"...the signature got cropped off the image when I was making this card.  I brought the digital image into my Cameo program.  I made a heart frame that would fit around the image, then made the heart into a 1/4 inch frame and cut it out 4 times, layered the heart frames together and adhered them on top of the image.  The sentiment is from Flourishes.  I colored the image - lightly - with Copics, then added a touch of sparkle with the clear star pen from Sakura.  I adhered the heart image and frame to an embossed panel (Looks like wedding rings, doesn't it?). I adhered the embossed panel to a white card base.  I also added three tiny pieces of bling under the sentiment.

The image for this card is from Flourishes. Stamped with Memento ink, then colored with colored pencils.  I made the frame by cutting out the center with a Spellbinder rectangle die, and embossing the edges of the opening before removing the die.  Then I cut the rectangle down slightly smaller than the card base and added score lines around the edges.  Then sentiment across the bottom is also from Flourishes.  I adhered the image directly to the card base then pop dotted the frame over it.  I don't know...is it a little too busy...not CAS enough?

This was the first card I made for the challenge, and I wasn't going to post it, because I don't really like how it turned out.  Too white or something.  Used a MB window die, stamped the SU image on white card stock, colored it, then adhered the window over it with dimensional tape.  The sentiment is from Flourishes

It just dawned on me that this card also fits the challenge over at CASology this week...got my little alien stopping by to wish someone a happy birthday.  Also got a frame on it...see that speech bubbly...yep...cut it out with the Cameo (about 3 times), colored the top piece with Copics to match the spots on my alien, then added a computer generated sentiment behind the speech bubble frame.  Popped the little green guy with dimensional tape.  Stamped a little grass to ground him. The little green guy was a coloring image I found online and turned into a digital image and cut file for my Cameo.  I printed it, then cut it out with the cameo, then colored it.  I've learned so much about my Cameo lately...I'm really loving that machine!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your comments and your visits are always appreciated!! Until next time...

Hugs!

CASology - Extraterrestrial

This week's challenge at CASology was a challenge for me.  The cue word is:  

Now I know I could have made something with the moon and stars...but when I think extraterrestrial, I think aliens, spacemen, and weird creatures.  So I did a little web search and found some coloring pages that I was able to make into digital images and print out with my Cameo.  Took me a while, but I loved the end result.  As usual, I'm an overachiever and have made several cards for the challenge. Here we go...

After I converted all the images to digital files, I figured out how to print and cut them with my Cameo.  Love that machine!  I printed the image, then cut it out with the Cameo, and then colored it with Copics.  I added some glossy accents to the eyeballs.  I cut a 3.75 x 5 inch white panel, embossed it with a PTI embossing plate, then added the sentiment with the computer.  I added a small blue border to the edges of the white panel and pop-dotted my little blue guy with some dimensional tape.  I adhered the background directly to the white card base.

Quick tutorial:  When you want to print in a specific place on a card, print the sentiment (image) on white copy paper.  Then hold the copy paper up to the light and align the card base (or panel) over the image (sentiment).  Adhere the card stock with a temporary adhesive, then run it through your printer again.  You can even make tags and labels this way too.

This second card might not be considered quite CAS enough...but I thought I'd post it anyway.  I created the background (the earth and the sky) with my Cameo.  I used an "earth) cut file and changed it to print only and then made the sky dark blue with little white dots on it.  I used a clear star Sakura pen to trace around the green on the earth, and I created the sentiment with the Cameo and had it print at the same time the rest of the background was printing.  The little space guy was another of the coloring pages I turned into a digital file, cut it out with the Cameo and colored it with Copics. The space guy is adhered with pop dots and the background panel is adhered directly to a white card base.

This third card just makes me giggle!  Isn't this little guy the cutest!?  Once again, this was a coloring page that I converted to a digital file and then cut the image out with my Cameo.  The candle is an image from DRS Designs.  I stamped the candle, colored it with Copics, then coated it with glossy accents and cut it out.  I cut the little green guy's hand so that he could "hold" the birthday candle.  Then sentiment was  computer generated after I embossed the white panel with a PTI wood grain embossing plate.  The font I used for the sentiment is called Problem Secretary.  It's a really cute font and perfect for this card, I think!  I added a small green border to the embossed panel and adhered the panel to a white card base.  My little green guy is pop dotted for extra dimension. Oh...and I coated his eyes with glossy accents too.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your comments and your visits are always appreciated!! Until next time...

Hugs!

OLW 130 & Addicted to Stamps and More

I've done it again!  I'm made a couple of cards that will definitely fit TWO challenges!  This week's OLW challenge is to use a sentiment or saying centered on the card...and make that the star of the show, surrounded by white space. Can do....

The challenge this week at Addicted to Stamps and More is anything goes...as long as it's Clean and Simple.  Can do...

These cards are REALLY CAS!  Here are the cards I made:

The sentiment is from PTI, stamped in Memento black.  I tried (I mean I really tried!) to stamp in a color, but I just couldn't do it!  I added three tiny black pearls under the sentiment.  

The sentiment on this card is also from PTI.  It's the first time this stamp has seen ink too!  I just couldn't leave it with just the sentiment, so I added two small pieces of orange bling.

These were probably two of the quickest cards I've ever made!  UBER-CAS!!!

I'm thinking perhaps I should have added some scored lines to these cards...what do you think?

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your comments and your visits are always appreciated!! Until next time...

Hugs!

Runway Inspired Challenge #31 and ATCAS #7

WooHoo!  I finally made a card that fits two challenges!  Here are the prompts for Challenge #31 at Runway Inspired Challenge and the challenge at Addicted to CAS :

I rarely manage to combine two challenges, but this card should be perfect for both challenges:

I made the black and white striped paper using my Silhouette program and then printed it out on white card stock.  The "monster" is a Hero Arts stamp that I've had forever...and I think it makes the perfect birthday card for my grandson.  Image was stamped in Memento ink and colored with Copics. I added some googly eyes and then I coated the image with glossy accents.  I don't think you can see the glossy accents on here, but it makes my little monster look like he's popped up off the page.  Sentiment is from the same HA stamp collection. I adhered a strip of the black and white stripe to one side of the image panel, then pop dotted the panel on a white card base...simple...and quick!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your comments and your visits are always appreciated!! Until next time...

Hugs!

CASology - Bunny

This week's challenge at CASology is create a card using the cue word "Bunny"...With Easter right around the corner...this should be lots of fun!

I've made a couple of cards today that fit this challenge...so off we go...

I love this first card...my little "peeps" Not a single stamp was used on this card!  I cut the Peep bunnies with my Cameo.  The green grosgrain "ribbon" is actually card stock that I embossed with a grosgrain embossing plate (which you can find here.) I actually designed the entire card in my Silhouette program, made the bunnies the colors I wanted, then cut them out.  In order to get the blue/lavender border, I simply printed a large square using the same color as my third bunny, then cut it down to size.  I embossed the top portion of the white panel with the dotted Swiss EF.  Sentiment was computer generated at the same time that I printed the bunnies before cutting them out.  Sound like a lot, but it was SUPER quick!

I remembered that I had this cute bunny stamp from Flourishes, so I made another card so I could use this stamp.  I stamped the image on white card stock, then colored it.  I stamped it again on white card stock, colored the front two bunnies, then cut them out and pop dotted them over the stamped image for a little dimension.  I sponged the sky with some distress ink.  I cut out the oval and the scalloped oval with Spellbinder dies.  I added an embossed panel behind the image and tied a ribbon around the panel.  Then layered it all on a white card base.  

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your comments and your visits are always appreciated!! Until next time...

Hugs!

AS IF.....

As if I don't have enough to keep me busy, I decided recently to learn to knit socks.  I learned how to knit when I was a teenager...many, many moons ago.  Basically, I just learned to knit and purl, and have made several afghans, a couple of simple sweaters, and a few scarves....but I saw a pattern for some socks, and thought...."I can learn to do this!"  Not so easy, it turns out.  I watched numerous videos, read several different patterns, and then set out to make my first pair of socks.  My first "sample sock" was made with the wrong type of thread....seems that wool is the best choice for socks...and it should be fingering weight (what the heck is fingering weight?!?)  It was long process, but I finally finished my first "pair" of socks.  Here's how they turned out:

YAY!!! I did it!  I wasn't really crazy about the way the ankle part of the socks looked, even though they do fit my feet, I thought I'd like a longer ribbing.....so I set off to make another pair.

I like the full ribbing better on this pair, but I think I still have a ways to go before my stitches get more even and smooth.  I was hoping to get quite a few pairs knitted up and perhaps use them as Christmas gifts this year.  What do you think....would that make a nice gift?

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your comments and your visits are always appreciated!! Until next time...

Hugs!

CAS on Sunday - Birthdays

Second post for the day.  I missed last week's challenge at CAS on Sunday, so I wanted to get my card in early for this week's challenge.  This week the challenge is to create a birthday card.  How great is that! We all need birthday cards, right?

Here's what I came up with:

I hope this is CAS enough...The little birds are a digi image from Twiddly Inks.  I see that they now have these images in clear stamps too!  I love the little birds!  I used my Cameo to print and cut the images, then I stamped in the letters and colored the birds with Copics.  The grass is just a piece of green card stock that I stamped some grass on, then cut the edge with a pair of decorative scissors.  The "birthday" sentiment is part of a PTI stamp.  I sponged the sky with a mask I hand cut, then popped my birdies on top of the grass.  Sounds like a lot, but it didn't take 15 minutes to put together.  It did take me a while to figure out how to cut the image out with the Cameo, but now I have the file saved and it will be super quick if I want to use these guys again!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your comments and your visits are always appreciated!! Until next time...

Hugs!

OLW129 - All in a Row

I haven't played along in the One Layer Wednesday challenge for quite a while.  Time just seems to slip away from me these days.  This week's challenge is hosted by Karen at Snippets.  Karen has challenged us to create a card with the theme "all in a row"....simple right?  I made one card, and just as I was finishing it up I managed to smear ink across the top right corner! Geesh!  So, I gave it another try....and this is what I came up with...not very original, but my dots are definitely all in a row!

The dot stamp and the sentiment stamp are both from Papertrey Ink.  I stamped the dots in Hero Arts Butter Bar and the sentiment in Hero Arts Orange Soda.  I rarely stamp in colors...I generally stamp in black then color my images, but I'm trying to venture out and try new things.  I love color when I see it on other people's blogs, but I've never been overly satisfied when I stamp in color.  I'll keep trying...I'm sure I'll improve...hopefully! LOL!  Since my yellow dots looked a little sad, I decided to highlight each of the dots with a spot of glitter...there...much better!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your comments and your visits are always appreciated!! Until next time...

Hugs!

LIM109 - A Color Challenge

This week's challenge at Less is More is a color challenge.  Here are the colors for this week's challenge:

Aren't these colors pretty?  Then why do you suppose I had so much trouble thinking up a design?!  I probably threw four or five attempts away before I finally finished a few cards that I decided were "okay". 

Here's what I came up with this week:

I think perhaps this is my favorite of the three cards I've made for this challenge.  I've used a PTI stamp set for this card.  I tried my best to match up with the colors for the challenge....hope they're close enough!  The sentiment is from the same set and is stamped in a brown.  I added a few piercings under the sentiment, and rounded the corners on the front panel as well as on the Kraft card stock base.

I tried die cutting some blooms and coloring them with Copics for this card...the colors aren't nearly as bright IRL.  Anyway....colored the blooms, added some bling to the centers of each flower, added a ribbon across the panel and stamped the sentiment in black.  Sentiment is from PTI.  As a finishing touch, I scored some lines around the edges of the panel.

I used a Kraft card base.  I sponged a piece of white card stock with the colors for the challenge (or as close as I could get), then cut a small panel and adhered it to the card base.  The leafy branch is a Sizzix die. I sponged the edges of the leaves with different shades of ink, then adhered it over the inked panel.  I also did a little scoring on the Kraft card base and added a few random pearls.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your comments and your visits are always appreciated!! Until next time...

Hugs!