Cranberries & Cake

Cranberries, the glossy shiny gems of burgundy red become a focal point for her winter wedding decor. A few days before the big event, she convinced her future husband to trek through the long driveway of the marsh, full of snow, with her to pick up a crate of fresh berries to adorn their reception tables. Thousands of glorious, elegant, unmarred burgundy red beads held together by rustic, worn wooden slabs of wood...what a perfect couple.

Oh, the colors of Off the Wall Craftiness brought back so many tucked away memories of my very own wedding. I started by stamping a series of patterned circles from Schlosser Design's Circle-A-Thon repeatedly in burgundy shades of chalk ink onto kraft paper and then added white enamel accents (these are so awesome, by the way!).

I liked the design and concept so much that I decided to take on the Winter White Tuesday Trigger Challenge at Moxie Fab World, this time using the stamping-off technique of brown ink onto cream paper. White enamel accents were also added, although the photograph does not show it well.

Supplies:
Cranberry Celebrate:
Cardstock: (Kraft) PTI
Stamps: (Circle-A-Thon, Furnishing Fun) Schlosser Designs
Ink: (Chalk Ink) Colorbox
Other: (White Enamel Accents) Ranger
Tools: (Corner Chomper) WR Memory Keepers


Cream Celebrate:
Cardstock: (Ivory) Georgia Pacific
Stamps: (Circle-A-Thon, Furnishing Fun) Schlosser Designs
Ink: (Vintage Photo Distress) Ranger
Other: (White Enamel Accents) Ranger
Tools: (Corner Chomper) WR Memory Keepers

Coveted Blankets

I have coveted many a crocheted blankets from my grandma. Some I use to ward off the chill of the cold Wisconsin winters, others I save because they are just too special-such as a pink one from my tenth birthday and the all white one trimmed with blue satin ribbon made especially for my boys' christening. She tried to teach me a couple of times the art of crochet, and I managed maybe a 100 yard string, but never mastered second rows. Everyone has their special crafty calling so I think I'll leave the crocheting up to Grandma.

The Tuesday Trigger at Moxie Fab World was calling to use Hexagon-A-Thon from Schlosser Designs. I grabbed the general shape and colors of the blanket as well as the color and texture of the bench it resides on. (Which, by the way, I adore, and think it would look lovely in my house.) I've also learned the power that a single embellishment can have, like one rhinestone, from Kelley at My Front Porch.

Supplies Used:
Cardstock: (Turquoise Card) Joann's, (Very Vanilla) SU
Stamps: (Hexagon-A-Thon) Schlosser Designs, (Sentiment from Mega Mixed Messages) PTI
Ink: (Earth Elements Set Pigment) SU, (Vintage Photo, Antique Linen Distress) Ranger
Embellishments: (Rhinestone) Studio 18

Painted Flower

Paint. She used to paint all the time in high school. She painted some in college. She felt rusty as she pulled out the paints in the bright colors. She timidly dipped the paint brush in the first color and let the bristles touch the paper. The creativity came back through her fingertips and she continued on with the other colors. Paint.

This card brought me back to the time when art was fun! I don't usually combine so many challenges, but the card kind of fell together with them in mind. I knew I wanted to use paint for Teri Anderson's Playing with Paint Challenge... and the colors of the paint were to be the bright and fun hues at Off the Wall Craftiness-not to mention that I loved the flowers in the corner, which brought me to... the tissue paper medium to fit with the 365 Cards Challenge... and the sentiment Mr. & Mrs. for the Tuesday Trigger at Moxie Fab World. The layout of the card is derived from the sketch at 2S4Y.

Supplies Used: Cardstock: White (Georgia Pacific) Taken with Teal (Stampin Up) Ink: Taken with Teal Marker (Stampin Up) Embellishments: Sticker Sentiment (SRM Stickers) Rhinestone (Oriental Trading Company) Teal Twine (May Arts from Practicing Creativity Designs) Tools: Swiss Dots Embossing Folder, Flower Dies (Provo Craft), Acrylic Paint (Apple Barrel), Glossy Accents (Ranger)

Can it be Spring?

What a lovely weekend it was here in central Wisconsin. Pretty soon the boys will have the canoe out in our front yard again from all the snow that has melted (yep, serious, I'll have to post some pictures when the time comes!)

The of this card was inspired by Pals Paper Arts Spring Challenge and the colors were pulled from the Tuesday Trigger over at Moxie Fab World-loved the blues, melons, pinks and oranges. [Here's a shocker] I'm extremely proud to say that I did not follow any sketch layout-perhaps there is hope for me!

Supplies Used: Orange and Blue Cardstock from Recollections, You're Dandy Stamp Set from Practicing Creativity Designs, SU White Craft Ink, SU Chit Chat Rub-ons, Fiskars Scallop Border Punch, CM Circle Punch, Buttons

A Little Birdie

My masked little birdie decided to land on another background, a bit softer and more winterlike. (Drat, I couldn't find the original bird mask that I had made so I replicated it again.) I loved the bit of green poking through, and the white bird surrounded by the chocolate-ness of the twigs, the image itself was a beautiful choice for the Moxie Fab's Tuesday Trigger Inspiration Challenge. (This is my first card made a quite a while ago.)

Here's the Goods: SU Very Vanilla Cardstock, SU Chocolate Chip Ink and Marker, Colorbox Chalk Ink in Creamy Brown, SU Satin Ribbon, SU Chitchat Rubon, SU Woodgrain Stamp, Making Memories Printed Flower and Button, Daisy D's Silk Flower, Brown Twine, Fiskar's Corner Rounder Punch

Masculine Mission

I'm on a mission to make some masculine cards for a gift. Any inspiration I can get is at least a boost in the right direction. This card was inspired by the Tuesday Trigger over at Moxie Fab World. I liked the different patterns in the leaves, the quilting and the tree itself but rather than just making a tree I decided to piece a collection of patterned paper together with the same kinds of colors from the inspiration pillow and "quilt" around the edges.
Here's the Goods: Patterned Paper from Essentials Junkitz Collection, So Saffron SU Cardstock, Stamps from Craft Affair Owl Garden and SU's Small Sayings, SU Going Gray Ink and Black Marker, Uniball Signo White Gel Pen