Autumn Hugs

 

Challenge #273 at Time Out Challenges has just gone live and this fortnight we have an Inspired By Words Challenge with this quote from Vincent Van Gogh

“As long as autumn lasts, I shall not have hands, canvas and colours 

enough to paint the beautiful things I see.”

An Inspired By Words challenge works exactly as you would expect - you take the words from the featured quote and use them to inspire your creation!   You can use one word, multiple words or just the general idea of the quote.

This challenge is generously being sponsored by Poppy Stamps and they are offering our Top Pick as chosen by the design teams a $20 credit to the store!  The Top Pick will also be invited to join Time Out as a guest designer in a future challenge!

Speaking of guest designers, our guest designer this fortnight is Deborah Wheeler of Deborah's Crafty Blog!  Be sure to check out her gorgeous interpretation of our quote as well as my talented team mates over on the Time Out Blog!

How do these words inspire you and where do they lead your imagination?  We hope you can take Time Out of your busy schedule to come play cards with us!

I just love this squirrel (Poppystamps Nordic Squirrels) - like all the Nordic animals he was so easy to assemble and his sweet little cardigan is so sweet and perfect for this time of the year when there is a little nip in the air!  He's having a frolic in some fallen leaves (Tim Holtz Fall Foliage) against an embossed lumber panel (Tim Holtz Texture Fade).  The "Playful Hugs" sentiment (also Poppy Stamps but discontinued) was cut and stacked three high from orange card stock to which I added some Candied Apple DI to the lower half to create an ombre effect.  I also added touches of gold to the leaves with some gilding wax.

I'd like to enter these fab challenges

NBUS Challenge #66 - The Nordic Squirrel is NBUS;

Cards 4 Guyz Challenge #358 - Embossing wet or dry;

Papercraft Challenge #110 - Fabulous Fall;

Crafty Animals Challenge #87 - Anything Goes must include an animal;

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes!

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you go away a little inspired!  Your visits and comments are always a joy and always appreciated!  And if you leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and should be able to find you!

Kate

Sheriff Shindig

 

Many years ago I bought two sets from Waltzing Mouse Stamps that I never got around to using - Way out West and Sheriff.   I also bought this Elizabeth Crafts Props 6 Cowboy Accessories a long time ago that has likewise languished.   All three sets came in handy this week when I needed a card for a big country music fan.  The card happens to be for our parish priest and I'm hoping the sheriff badge will make him chuckle.

It needed to be a big card since many people will probably want to sign it.  This card measures 13cm x 18cm (5x7) - and I don't find it easy to fill that much space!  

I knew I wanted to make a spinner card so I cut a track in the top half of the panel.  Next I used the Tim Holtz Lumber Texture Fades 3-D Embossing Folder to emboss roughly the top half of the panel.   I then stamped this text border from Way Out West along the bottom.  I used various DIs (Ripe Persimmon, Spiced Pumpkin, Peeled Paint, Mowed Lawn, Broken China, Gathered Twigs) to add some colour to the panel.  To bridge the gap between the embossing and the stamping,  I created a little scene with two more of the borders from the Way Out West set on a separate piece of white card stock, tore the top and bottom edges, blended a little Broken China DI for the sky and placed it over this empty area.   I then added the hat, bandana and boots from the Elizabeth Crafts set.

I cut three badges using the cut files that came with the Waltzing Mouse Sheriff set, stamped onto one of them and used the other two for stacking since it was going to be a spinner element. Here is a video of the Sheriff badge in motion.  In hindsight, perhaps the 3D embossing folder wasn't such a great idea as it definitely impedes the smooth running of the spinner element but I love the effect of the woodgrain!

 And here is a photo of the computer generated sentiment on the inside.

I'd like to enter these fab challenges

NBUS Challenge #66;

Get Creative Challenge #135 Inspired by a Book - True Grit by Charles Portis;

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Make Your Own Background;

Cards 4 Guyz Challenge #358 - Embossing wet or dry;

Alphabet Challenge Blog - M is for Masculine;

Cut it Up Challenge #313 has a theme of Colours of Autumn/Fall;

Can You Handle the Pressure - Twist of Fall Colours;

Papercraft Challenge #110 - Fabulous Fall;

The Four Seasons September Challenge - Fall;

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you go away a little inspired!  Your visits and comments are always a joy and always appreciated!  And if you leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and should be able to find you!

Kate

Snarky

Challenge #272 has just gone live at Time Out Challenges and this fortnight we challenge you to be

Snarky

This challenge is generously being sponsored by Funky Fossil and they are offering our Top Pick as chosen by the design teams a £25 credit to their store!  The Top Pick will also be invited to join Time Out as a guest designer in a future challenge!

Speaking of guest designers, we are joined this challenge by the incredibly talented Sudbury of Eden land Designs.  Wait until you see what she has created for our challenge this fortnight - do drop by and leave her some comment love!!

How do you interpret snarky?  Susan and my talented team mates have plenty of inspiration for you over on the Challenge Blog!

Snarky isn't really my style so I struggled with this challenge, but in the end I managed the tiniest amount of sarcasm thanks to this great set Comic Book Words Stamp and Die set (which is currently on special) from our sponsor Funky Fossil.   

I stamped some elements from the set onto white cardstock and framed the panel with a black rectangle so it resembled a panel from a comic book (the black frame was stacked three times).  The OMG was stamped, die cut and stacked 4 high so it really popped!

Two of the images (star and border on the bottom) came from much older WMS stamp sets - Halftone Basics and Kaboom.  Speaking of WMS, any fans of Waltzing Mouse Stamps may be excited to know that Claire Brennan is back in business!  

I'd like to enter the following fabulous challenges

NBUS Challenge #66 - The Funky Fossil Comic Words set has its first outing with this card;

Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday Challenge for September - Anything Goes;

Word Power Challenge #9 - Focus on the Sentiment;

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you go away a little inspired!  Your comments are always appreciated and always bring me joy and if you do leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and how to find you!

Kate

Focus on the Sentiment

 

The Sparkles Christmas Challenge #164 has just gone live and the theme this month is

Sentiment as the Focus

I used this sentiment die (LDRS Christmas Wishes) as the focus for this card.  I lined up the sentiment die on this tartan panel (I used a tartan because I wanted something with a definite pattern).  I then stacked the die cut so it would be more stable and layered it on a gold mirror card shadow.  Then I covered the hole left from die cutting the sentiment in step 1, carefully lining up the pattern.  I tried adding a few small die cut Christmas around the sentiment but wasn't happy with any of them and ended up only adding these small golden dots left over from a previous project.

I'd like to enter these fab challenges

Allsorts Challenge Week 796 - Getting Sentimental;

Merry Little Christmas #57 - Anything Christmas Goes;

Peace on Earth Challenge #71 - Anything Christmas Goes;

Outlaws Festive Friday Challenge 2 - Anything Christmas Goes;

Kraft Chicks Challenge #731 - Week 5 Anything Goes;

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes;

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you go away a little inspired!  Your visits and comments are always a joy and always appreciated!  And if you leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and how to find you!

Kate

Rainbow Support

Challenge #271 has just gone live at Time Out Challenges and this fortnight we have a theme challenge for you 

Friendship/Encouragement/Support

This challenge is generously being sponsored by Uniko and they are offering our Top Pick as chosen by the design teams a $25 credit to their store!  The Top Pick will also be invited to join Time Out as a guest designer in a future challenge!

Speaking of guest designers, we are joined this challenge by the incredibly talented Nancy Leppek of Scrapper@Heart our winner from Challenge #266!  If you didn't come here from the Time Out Challenge Blog, you really must see what she has made especially for our challenge ... and while you're there, let her know how much you love it!

After prevaricating about the bush for way too long about which of the many encouraging quotes to use, I ended up going with this supportive sentiment from WPlus9 Pretty Patches Umbrella set instead!   Mainly because I could show off this lovely NBUS boho rainbow die set that came with last year's Gummiapan 2023 Advent Calendar (speaking of, I hope I haven't missed the deadline for this year's Advent Calendar).   I think the arches of a rainbow are a great image for a support card - after all arches have been supporting most of the world's more famous buildings for millennia.  

All sorts of weather are represented in this pretty panel of clouds but it was a bit too busy for my lovely rainbow so I made up a framed panel of vellum to tone it down (the frame is to hide any adhesive)!   As well as the rainbow, I added a few clouds (Elizabeth Craft Hot Air Balloons) and a little sunshine (Frantic Stamper Village Sky).  

I'd like to enter these fab challenges

NBUS Challenge #65 - The rainbow die  is NBUS;

Love Those Pretty Papers August Challenge - Use patterned papers;

Die Traumfabrik Challenge #131 - The Intouchables (all about friendship).

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you go away a little inspired!  Your visits and comments are always a joy and always appreciated!  And if you leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and should be able to find you!

Kate

Tutti Fruity

 Challenge #270 has just gone live at Time Out Challenges and this fortnight it's an Inspiration Photo Challenge!

Here's a closeup!

This challenge is generously being sponsored by Graciellie Design and they are offering our Top Pick as chosen by the design team a $25 voucher to their store.  

Our top pick will also be invited to guest design with us at a future date so I hope you will take some Time Out of your busy schedule and come play cards with us! 

Speaking of Top Picks, we are delighted to welcome Stef Perry of Perry Papercrafts (our Top Pick of Challenge #265) as our guest this fortnight!  If you haven't already done so, please drop by and see what Stef has made just for our challenge ... and let her know how much you love it!

There's quite a lot in this pic to inspire - the colours, the fruit, the heart bowls, the timber floor - I can't wait to see what captures your imagination!

As always, I'm trying to get to the bottom of my NBUS stash - though that may well be impossible as it’s constantly growing!  I've had these strawberries (Charlie & Paulchen Waldbeeren) for well over a year now and this challenge gave me the perfect opportunity to finally get them out and have a play.  This little beaver (Poppy Stamps Whittle Beaver) is another die that's been waiting patiently for a play and as his little arms allow something to be tucked into them, I've tucked the smallest of the strawberries in there!   Those little white bowls in the inspiration pic gave me the perfect opportunity to use this recently acquired heart die set (Poppy Stamps Vintage Heart)!  The vines were from another NBUS set (Joy Craft Pumpkins).

I couldn't resist this corny sentiment from Poppy Stamps Whittle Wild Animal Sentiments … and some dew drops added to the strawberries makes me think they’ve just been picked!

I’d like to enter this first card in to NBUS Challenge #65;

Crafty Animals Challenge #86;

Daring Cardmakers Challenge - this week’s theme is Summer Lovin’ and I’m lovin’ fresh strawberries in Summer;

and Allsorts Challenge 793-4 - Summers Days makes me think of yummy fresh strawberries!

Here is another card that was inspired by the pic - namely all the fruit and the timber floorboards!  And it’s given me another opportunity to use some more NBUS dies - Gummiapan Fruit and Gummiapan Swedish Fika and Platter set (just the platter);  After cutting the floorboards (Gummiapan), I masked off the area above and rubbed in some gilding wax.  I cut a few pieces of fruit from white card stock and coloured the pieces with alcohol markers.  I arranged the fruit on the gilded platter -and once I was happy with the arrangement added glossy accents so it had that waxed fruit look!  I've gone with a general HUGS sentiment (Birch Press Big Lingo Type Hugs) though a fruit platter would make a great Get Well Card don't you think!

 

I’d like to enter this card into the August inspiration Station Challenge which has the following wonderful inspiration pic;

Krafty Chicks Challenge #729 - Week 3 CAS; 

Word Power Challenge #8;

and Four Seasons August Summer Challenge - Anything Goes Summer;

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you go away a little inspired!  Your visits and comments are always a joy and always appreciated!  And if you leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and how to find you!

Kate