Time Out Challenge #278

Hard to believe I've been on the Time Out Challenge DT for a year!  I still remember how surprised and honored I felt when Nonni told me I was selected to join the team.  This is our last challenge for 2024 and it is my last post as a member of the team.  I have decided to step down, but I do treasure the opportunity I had to work with these talented ladies.  I'll definitely be a player next year!

We have a fun holiday photo with plenty to inspire you for Time Out Challenge #278.  Check out the blog for a close up.

If you know me, you won't be surprised that the wreath inspired my card.  I do love wreaths!  I used an old woodblock Art Impressions stamp that I still love as much as the first time I saw it.  

The wreath in the photo has a couple shades of green and I actually used 3 CN9 inks:  Clover, Evergreen and Artichoke.  I inked, spritzed with water and stamped on watercolor paper multiple times, until I was happy with the look.  Luckily I still have an old fashioned stamp positioner.  I used the same inks to color the circle mat and added Christmas Red Stickles to the berries.  The little PPP bows were cut from a beautiful red cardstock and I attached them just in the center.  The red cardstock is almost gone, but there was enough for the red mat die cut with a MFT rectangle.  I die cut a tiny gold circle for the center of the bow to tie in with the mat and the Birch Press Merry Christmas Vintage Sentiment.  You can find lots of inspiration from our guest designer and my teammates on the blog, along with all the challenge details.  Our sponsor is Gina K, so better check it out!

I'm entering SSS Monday (Stickles) and WAW.

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

Time Out Challenge #277

We have a quote for the Inspired by Words challenge at Time Out.  You can use the entire quote or any of the words it contains for your project.  "There truly is not an occasion, that is not improved by wearing something festive."  Emma Straub  We're generously sponsored by Top Flight Stamps.  

Should be no surprise that I focused on the word "festive" and made another Christmas card for my DT project.  This time I began with a background panel that's been waiting a long time to be used.  

Winnie and Walter's The Peppermint Zone cover plate was die cut from white cardstock and layered over a red textured panel.  Luckily, I found more of the red cardstock in my stash and used it to die cut the PTI sentiment.  To make it stand out a bit more, I added a couple more layers, brushed with shimmer and covered with Nuvo glaze.  

The double snowflakes were made with 6 of the Pinkfresh Layered Snowflakes.  I attached them only in the centers and gently lifted the ends.  They're also brushed with shimmer and adorned with sparkly Taylored Expressions gems.  Pretty simple card, but I think it's fun and festive.  There's a lot more inspiration on the blog from our guest designer and my teammates.  Check out all the challenge details and why not play along?  

I'm entering DCD and SSS Wednesday.

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

Time Out Challenge #276

The weather has definitely changed in my part of the world.  I do prefer cooler temperatures and we need the rain.  So Time Out Challenge #276: Be Cozy seems very appropriate.  

Hubby loves to wear his plaid flannel shirts when it's chilly, so my first thought was to use plaid in my card.  But I came across the Tutti Designs Winter Cottage die I won several years ago and had never used.  

We love the mountains and cross country skiing was my favorite winter activity.  I would have loved to stay at this cottage!  The white glitter paper is so beautiful in person and makes it stand out from the background.  Speaking of the background, it's simply a white panel embossed with SSS Forest Border folder.  Luckily, I didn't discard the little snowflakes that pop out of the diecut so I could add them across the top.  The little sentiment from Winnie and Walter was stamped in PTI Weathervane and matching cardstock was used for the panel and sentiment strip mats.  Hubby loves the card, so maybe I can come up with something slightly different for his December birthday card.  

You can get a lot more inspiration and all the challenge details on the Time Out Challenge blog.  Our generous sponsor is Newton's Nook and it'd be great to see you in the gallery.

I'm entering DCD and WAW.

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

Time Out Challenge #275

We have a fun theme for Time Out Challenge #275:  Baking/Sweet Treats.  Our great sponsor, Lawn Fawn, is giving the winner a $25 store credit.  

I have very few products that would work, but one I really like is PTI's 2018 Your Beautiful Birthday stamp set.  The images make for a kind of funky, artsy cake.  You can get lots of different looks using the layers however you want and with any colors.  

I decided to go with more of an elegant take this time by using a monochromatic color palette and spraying Heidi Swapp white Color Shine over the stamped oval.  The CN9 inks are Aqua Sky, Tidepool and Evergreen.  I used the same inks for the colored strips in the background which were die cut with PFS Color Block Stripes cover plate.  The cake plate, candles and sentiment from PTI Scripted were stamped in Versafine Clair Morning Mist.  I used PTI Orange Zest and Harvest Gold for the flame and glow.  It's amazing those tiny stamps haven't gotten lost!  The larger Altenew oval was die cut from PTI Weathervane cardstock.  I remembered that stars are often used for birthday cards, so I embossed Tim Holtz Tiny Stars folder for the background.  

You can find all the challenge details on the blog, along with lots of inspiration from our GD and my teammates.  I'm entering DCD and WAW.

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

Time Out Challenge #274

Time Out Challenge #274 is a great photo challenge which you can also think of as a theme challenge.  Our blog owner, Nonni, took this picture during a visit to New York City.  Our generous sponsor is Newton's Nook.

You can use any of the words or objects in the photo.  There's lots of inspiration from our GD and my teammates on the blog, along with details about our challenge.

I used just the word "coffee" as inspiration to open my Stamp Simply A Cup of Java die set.  Nonni's card for our last challenge actually gave me the idea to use the coffee cup negative for a shaker--so fun! 

I used a couple sheets of beautiful printed paper I picked up in a close out.  They're more for spring or summer, but I wanted to use some of the beautiful shaker filler given to me by my dear friend, Rosemary.  And besides, it's Spring in the southern hemisphere!  I used PTI Sweet Blush cardstock for the handle and covered it with Nuvo Glaze.  The steam was stacked a couple high and covered with a shimmer pen.  The Mama Elephant sentiment die was cut twice from white cardstock.  I inked the top one with Olive Twist and used the other one as a slight shadow which made it stand out much more from the floral paper.  PTI Olive Twist cardstock was used for the mat.  I don't make many shakers, but this was pretty easy and I love the result.  It's a great way to use printed papers, especially ones that are from the same collection so I know they go together.  

I'm entering SSS Monday Snippets Playground (all scraps except the paper showing through the shaker), DCD and WAW.

Edited to add: SSS WCMD Challenge.

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

Time Out Challenge #273

I think you're going to love Time Out Challenge #273 where we are inspired by these words:  "As long as autumn lasts, I shall not have hands, canvas and colors enough to paint the beautiful things I see."  Vincent Van Gogh

We're generously sponsored by Poppystamps who are giving a $20 store credit to the winner picked by the DT.

Autumn is probably my favorite season with cooler temperatures, changing colors and football!  You can be inspired by the whole quote or any of the words.  I tried a new technique after watching Lydia Fiedler's video.  

Basically, you attach foil to cardstock, emboss with a 3D folder, cover with gesso, add alcohol inks and cover the raised edges with gold.  Lydia brayered on gold paint, but I swiped with a gold ink pad.  I did find it tricky to not end up with the alcohol inks all mixed together, but this panel turned out like I wanted.  

I made it into a card using a sentiment and leaves from SSS Thankful for You.  Hope to see you in the gallery.  I'm entering SSS Wednesday and Double D.

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

Time Out Challenge #272

Time Out Challenge #272 is a fun one as we challenge you to be snarky!  Our wonderful sponsor is Funky Fossil.

I wanted to make a birthday card and knew I could print my own sentiment, as I don't have snarky products.  Here's what I came up with.

The candles from Hero Arts May card kit were lined up kinda wonky in my MISTI and repeatedly stamped in Versafine Clair Nocturne.  Then I messily watercolored with Distress Oxides candied apple, spiced marmalade, fossilized amber, lucky clover and prize ribbon.  I used a Quickie Glue Pen and gold foil for the flames.  I tied on white crochet thread and attached the panel to a black mat.  I found a fun font and printed out the sentiment to go above and below my raised panel of candles.  The embellishments are a yellow Hero Arts Translucent Enamel Dot and 2 black Gina K hearts.  All the details and lots of inspiration from our guest designer and my teammates can be found on the blog.

I'm entering SSS Monday and Stay Crafty with A Blog Named Hero.

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

  

Time Out Challenge #271

Uniko is sponsoring Time Out Challenge #271 with a $25 store credit for the winner.  Our theme is Friendship/Encouragement/Support.  

I probably make more friendship cards than any other type, as I love sending cards to friends around the world.  One of my favorite Uniko stamp sets is Beautiful Blooms III.  I'm not very good at layering sets, but the modern design of this one is pretty forgiving.  

Long ago I loved to enter Play Date Cafe challenges, especially when it was Color Splash.  That meant you had to use black and white with just a splash of another color--sometimes specified and sometimes up to you.  I used Versafine Clair Nocturne, Brilliance Starlite Black and Altenew Velvet.  Just love the classic look!

The square dies are MFT In & Out Stitched Rounded Squares and the sentiment is from Altenew Floral Acanthus.  If you enlarge the picture, you might be able to see that I used a shimmer pen for the little heart.  There's lots of inspiration in the post at Time Out Challenges from our Guest Designer and my teammates, along with all the details. 

I'm also entering SSS Wednesday. 

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

Time Out Challenge #270

Hello Friends.  Time Out Challenge #270 is a photo inspiration challenge.  You can use anything in the photo for your project, including images or colors.  Graciellie Design is sponsoring us and will give the winner a $25 store credit.  

Our 45th anniversary is next month, so that's probably why I focused on the white heart dishes.  Perfect inspiration for hubby's card!  

Alex Syberia Quirky Hearts die set worked great for my idea of having a raised edge since the bowls inspired me.  Luckily, this card doesn't have to be mailed as I stacked the hearts 5 high!  The center solid heart was covered in white pigment ink and embossed with WOW Ultra High Clear powder multiple times!  Since I didn't use chipboard, it bent a little and cracked when I tried to make it flat.  But I just kept adding layers of ink and powder until it was repaired.  

The background is Alex Syberia Tiny Hearts Cover Die which I spritzed with Distress Mica Stain Wicked Elixir and Hero Arts Ocean Blue Metallic Spray, since hubby likes blue and green.  SSS Love die set is a favorite and was the right size.  Debated about stamping a subsentiment, but decided to use Memory Box Parker Lower Case Alphabet dies with the same green cardstock I used for love and the mat.  Usually I make hubby's card a couple days before our anniversary, so feels good to have it done in plenty of time.  Plus, I think he will really like this one.  You can find all the challenge details and lots of inspiration from my teammates and our guest designer on the blog.  

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.