Christmas Card Parade - 2

The week before Halloween, I made Christmas cards.  Yep.  This didn't start with Christmas cards in mind.  It started because I wanted to "get messy" and play with mixed media.  I started with a cool twist on the shaving cream technique and wound up with four cards.  Here is the second card.

Hanging ornaments with a scattering of sequins!  I love the subtle pattern on the red layer and the subtle swirls of red throughout the green background.  

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a moo'valous day!

Solemn Stillness GOLD

The gilded age has returned!  

I love the sparkle, especially the Zing! Glitter Finish Gold embossing powder!  I'm not certain I'm impressed with the Mister Huey Gold.  In the right light, it shimmers nicely; otherwise, meh.  While I wish I had tried it without the Mister Huey Gold, I'm very happy with how it turned out otherwise! Mister Huey plays a big role in this card though.  LOL. Maybe it will grow on me some more.  

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a moo'valous day!

Stamps: SU! Solemn Stillness
Paper: SU! Very Vanilla & Brushed Gold
Ink: Brilliance Galaxy Gold, Versamark
Accessories: SC Mister Huey (Gold); SU! gold cord, Gold Glory EP; Zing Glitter Finish Gold EP

MSM's Solemn Stillness

I need 16 - 20 more Christmas cards.  (sigh)  I thought I had enough.  No worries.  I'm having fun making cards.  I checked in with my go-to challenges over on SCS: CAS, Color Challenge and Sketch Challenge.  I figured I best pick a stamp set first.  So, I picked another go-to: SU!'s Solemn Stillness.  There are so many possibilities with this stamp set.

Next, I chose the color challenge:  Chocolate Chip, Crumb Cake and Pool Party.  Really? Pool Party. That name so does not go with winter in Kentucky.  LOL.  BUT, adding touches of silver and bouncing off the Sketch Challenge, it made a lovely card.

I made four of this style, which is my favorite number for successful mass production.  I probably could do up to 10 maximum.  But, I did four.  And am very happy with them.

Stay tuned for more variations on Solemn Stillness!

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a moo'valous day!

Stamps: SU! Solemn Stillness & Christmas Greetings
Paper: SU! Chocolate Chip, Crumb Cake & Whisper White
Ink: SU! Pool Party & Chocolate Chip, Versamark
Accessories: SU! Sterling Silver DP & silver cord

MSM's Season of Thanks

This week's color challenge over on SCS is "Crisp Coral Crumbs".  That is:  Crisp Cantaloupe, Calypso Coral and Crumb Cake.  I'm still loving the look of the direct-to-paper technique I experimented with yesterday for Monday's CAS challenge:  stamp-a-pad..

Lately, I've been inspired by projects featuring "color blocks".  I'm looking forward to trying this on a larger canvas!  

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a moo'valous day!

Stamps: SU! Season of Thanks

Paper: PTI White, SU! Crumb Cake

Ink: Studio Calico Color Theory (Blush Crush, Coral Bay, Creme Brulee, Inky Black)

Techniques: Direct to Paper

MSM's Merry & Bright, more or less

I'm playing in the CAS challenge over on SCS again this week.  This week's challenge is "stamp a pad".

I used a technique called direct to paper to create the paint swipes using three shades of blue for an ombre look.  I really do like that pop of black.  That's the more version, only because it has three more sequins!  LOL.

This is the less version.  It's fun to do a more & less version, interesting to see the differences.  I can't make up my mind which one I like better.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a moo'valous day!

Paper: PTI White, SU! Basic Black
Ink: SC Color Theory (Glass Slipper, Clear Blue, Something Blue)
Accessories: Sewing Machine, Silhouette Cut File, SC sequins (black)
Techniques: Direct to paper, Sewing

MSM's Merry Christmas + Paint

I'm so in love with the acrylic paint in the cool tubes from Studio Calico's Color Theory line.  

Let me tell you a story.

My vision, inspired by a card from the Send Joy class taught by Lisa Spangler.

Firstly, I had none of the supplies for the card demonstrated in the class.  As a master counterfeiter (ahem) with a Silhouette cut file and a masked a portion of a sentiment from the SU! stamp set Christmas Greetings, I was good to go! 

I love the die cut "Christmas" backed with SU! Cherry Cobbler, cut using my lovely Cameo.   Using my handy stamp-a-ma-jig, I positioned "Merry" and stamped it in SC Color Theory Emerald City.   Not my favorite green, but it is a really nice green for Christmas cards!  Then I squished some of that same not so favorite green into my tray, grabbed a paint brush and got to swathing paint!  I had only die cut four cards...and ooops, I had way too much paint in my tray.  Since it comes in nifty cool tubes, there was no way to "save" it, nor was I washing it down the drain.  I decided to use the rest on six more card bases and eventually came up with this:

This one might be my favorite of the three.  Funny how that works out.  

When I was gluing sequins on the die cut card, I didn't realize that T-2 (cat) had knocked one of the die cut cards off the desk until I was all set & done!  So, I wound up one like this:

I just call that my "less" version.  I sorta like it better than the "more" version.  And I really have a thing for sequins.  Hmmm...

That other green is called Mint Hint, another "favorite" (ahem) green of mine.  However, I will say, again, that they look moo'valous together on a Christmas card.

Green is my favorite color.  However, I tend to lean towards a true John Deere green and a more yellow green than blue green.  I do not like SU! Certainly Celery or any relatives, such as Mint Hint.  LOL.  That may change.  Who knows.  But I did get rid of every single sheet of SU! Certainly Celery I had.  Maybe it reminds me of limp, stringy celery and "ants on a log."

Well, that's 10 more fun, easy & WOW Christmas cards.  Bonus points for flat & easy mailing!

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a moo'valous day!

MSM's Solemn Stillness

I'm in the Christmas card making / challenge participation / sharing mood.  Today's project features the Stampin' Up! Solemn Stillness stamp set  (Can you hear the Christmas hymn?) and a traditional Christmas color combination with gold accents!  

This is no one layer wonder; however, it will ship flat, a feature helps greatly when sending out bunches of Christmas cards to the individuals on our Christmas card list! The "WOW!" factor comes from the Zing Glitter Gold embossing powder; add to that, gold sequin stars, gold cord and a brushed gold cardstock panel.  

The card size is 6 x 4.5.  There are some vanilla envelopes I wish to use and I wanted to maximize the usage of a precious 12 x 12 sheet of cardstock.   LOL.  

I love the stamped off tree image and I definitely love the gold trim!  

Thanks for stopping by!  Have  moo'valous day!

Stamps: Solemn Stillness, Christmas Greetings

Paper: BG Figgy (6x6); SU! Cherry Cobbler, Always Artichoke, Very Vanilla, Brushed Gold

Ink: SU! Always Artichoke; Hero Arts Unicorn Pigment Ink; SC Color Theory Inky Black

Accessories: Zing Glitter Finish Gold EP; SU! Gold Cord; SC Gold Sequins; Black Brads

MSM's Be Merry

Today's CAS (Clean And Simple) challenge over on SCS focuses on non-traditional Christmas cards. I am taking a class over on Studio Calico called "Send Joy", taught by Lisa Spangler.  This is a CASE of one of three cards she demonstrated, using a cool ink technique!  

This non traditional Christmas card has a trendy vibe with its two toned (blue / green) triangles that serve as evergreen trees.   It is definitely CAS in design, containing white space upon which the eye can rest.

This was a fun challenge using something other than the traditional red + green for Christmas cards or white + blue for Winter Holiday cards.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a moo'valous day!

Stamps: SC Send Joy

Paper: PTI White

Ink: SC Color Theory (Mint Hint, Lime Light, Emerald City, Inky Black), Brilliance Galaxy Gold

Accessories: Krylon 18 kt Gold Leafing Pen, mini mister (water), foam squares, SC gold sequins & stars, SC craft die O Christmas Tree

Sugar Rush Doodled Owl

It's been a while since I've made a card.  I've been eyeing this owl die ever since I won a GC from Serendipity Stamps during HYCCT 2013.  It reminds me of a silver necklace I had as a child.  The pendant was an owl in sliver and turquoise with emerald eyes.

  

I used MOJO Monday Sketch 325 and Studio Calico's Sugar Rush card kit to complete TLC469 - doodling.  That technique challenge was to trace around a die cut.  It's amazing the POP that can be added to a project by tracing around the die cut out with a white gel pen!

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a moo'valous day!

MOJO316 - u r my SUNSHINE!

Studio Calico kits.  I love it when I can mix a current kit with items from past kits.  The paper & ribbon are from Studio Calico's Antiquary card kit.   The chipboard sentiment and the orange speech bubble (!!) are from past kits.  The flags, I cut with Verve's Flag It die set; I purchased that with my Verve gift certificate I won during DTGD!  That is one of my favorite dies.  Love it! 

 

The sketch is from Mojo Monday (MOJO316).  This is my first time playing in Mojo Monday! 

I love the colors, the sketch...the fact I could use and combine current & past kit items AND use a prize I won! 

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a moo'valous day!

AMMCC10 - Happy Birthday to YOU

I have lots of favorite things going on with this project!  I'll start where I started.  LOL.  With a color challenge. 

And an ugly piece of designer paper.  ahem.  **cough cough**  I know, I said favorite things.  But, it's my favorite now.  And look at the dark woodgrain paper!  It has an embossed woodgrain.  I love it!  OK.  I digress.  Back to beautifying that...ahem...ugly paper.  What was ugly about it?  It was slick, shiny and a harsh funny looking brown. 

 

I had several tries in getting this paper to look nice when stamped on.  I should mention also that SU! Field Flowers has a learning curve.  OMW!  I have seen beautiful stamped images with this set...but um...I used many sheets of scrap paper trying to figure out that the...ahem...I digress.

 

 

And I tease GARFIELD about his kitty kat ADD?  hee hee OK.  Beautifying ugly designer paper.

 

Vanilla Ice Cream acrylic paint alone just didn't cut it!  It needed some tooth on that slick shiny wood panel designer paper.  I mixed some Vanilla Ice Cream with some gesso...and wow!  Um...that's acrylic paint + gesso.  ;-)  And now that I think about it...Vanilla Ice Cream with chocolate chip & fruit punch.  wow. 

I wasn't too happy with the original stamped image, so I added some Fruit Punch stickles & smeared it around with my finger.  WOW!  (No, I didn't lick my finger.)  I had found a sketch via Pinterest, so I got to taping.  Then I dug out a muslin banner and stamped the sentiment using Antiquary Card Kit stamp set!  Then OMW!  eep!  Look at the straight lines.  ;-)   Circle veneer & a bicycle to the rescue!  And a ca-ute tweety bird.  When I first received the "tweets" wood veneer...I thought...ugh.  It's become one of my favorites to play with.  Who am I kidding?  All wood veneer is my favorite to play with.  And sequins?!?  Shut the door!  I have sequins galore.  I use them, too.  No sense in hoarding.  

 

 

I'm a happy camper.  Now, that's mixed media, mollymoo style.  LOL.

 

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a moo'valous day!

 

 

More Halloween, with MFTWSC142

I'm having fun with all these Halloween crafty goodies. It's fun to use my stuff! I love those sequin stickers; I believe I received those in a Wish RAK package years ago.  Sequins are back in style.  LOL.  For sure. 

For the inside, I pulled out two MFT nature sets:  What's Your Sign? and Nature Calls.  I stamped "Happy Halloween" from SU! All Year Cheer 3 on the sign.

The "hi" in the speech bubble are from MFT's Say What? coordinating stamp & die-namics set.   I love love love the Freckled Fawn black candy stripe washi tape! 

I love those sequins!  Have I mentioned that already?  I have a sequin "is-shoe". 

 Thanks for stopping by!  Have a moo'valous day!

MIX34, Halloween Style

Still coughing...but at least, it's productive.

I have Halloween crafty goodness out.  Yesterday, when I picked up the MAMBI pad at Michael's, I also picked up more acrylic paint.  Soon, I'll have most shades of the rainbow!  I love acrylic paint!  Mister Huey is pretty good, too.  So when Friday and a new mix-a-bility challenge rolled around...I was ready to go!

 

MIX34 challenges us to "paint x2".  Acrylic paint + Mister Huey and traditional ink.  Inspired by a Pinterest pin,  I came up with these two:

I love 'em.   The left one is sprayed with Opaque White; the right is "droppered", then dabbed.  I sprayed both with Mister Huey Shine...they are sparkly...no...shiny and not shiny.  There's lots of visual texture, I suppose I could call it that.  I want to rub my fingers across the cards...they are almost smooth...and look like patterned paper!  I'm loving the Martha Stewart glitter die cuts!  I'm down to one witch, one cat and a handful of stars! 

 

Here's the inside of one; both are the same, except the Pebbles Chalkboard stickers (from SC Licorice Double Scoop add-on) are different shapes.  I cut into more MAMBI paper from the 6 x 6 pad!

The witch is flying outside...and they are in line to go visit the haunted house!  OH NO!  wait!  The witch standing in line is throwing a fit because her broom didn't fly fast enough.  LOL.  I wanted to be first, she says, stomping her foot!  Personally, I think her broom went plenty fast enough...she scared the cat!  I think she got lost, too...first she's going west, then she's going east...but HEY! better late than never. 

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a moo'valous day!

Happy Halloween

I have been blessed with a lovely case of bronchitis.  I'm hoping I'm on the mend because my mojo appeared!  I want to play with Halloween goodies...I mean...make Halloween cards.  So...feeling halfway decent today, after work I went to Michael's.  I picked up some chalkboard paint and a lovely 6 x 6 pad of MAMBI Halloween paper!  I have oodles of 12 x 12 Halloween paper, but that's for scrapbooking only.  **wink wink**   I had no 6 x 6 pads of Halloween paper.  **gasp**  It made perfect sense that I pick up more Halloween paper in the 6 x 6 size.  The scale of the pattern in the 6 x 6 pad is perfect for making cute cards, right?

 

Being sick, I missed the deadline for the yellow, orange & khaki color combo.  I'm still gonna do my idea.  I disgress.

This is AMMCC8 and SC454. 

The colors...

...and the sketch.

 

 

Now that proper introductions have been made, let's get acquainted.

 



 

The mixed media portion is the main panel.  I painted the top with a chalkboard paint!  I love it!  Two coats...one horizontal, let it dry; then one vertical, let THAT dry.  I stamped the greeting with Versamark & white pigment ink (SU! Whisper White craft ink), dumped on white embossing powder (SU! Winter White) and blasted it with the heat gun. 

 

See those CUTE Halloween wood veneers?  From Studio Calico Licorice add-on for the Double Scoop SB kit.  I love them.  I also love that black candy stripe washi from Freckled Fawn that was in the Licorice kit as well.  The glitter cat is from my stash.  He has some companions...I plan on using them in a few more projects! 

 

Wanna see the inside?

 

 

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a moo'valous day!

 

VERVE Happiness

I participated in the week long stamp boot camp...I mean the annual Dare to Get Dirty 2013 for the Fan Club members over on SplitCoastStampers!  I won a prize.  Actually, I won TWO prizes.  One was an extension of my Fan Club membership.  The second was a VERVE gift certificate.  I was a VERVE virgin.  Was. 

It took me a week or so to decide what to get.  VERVE is totally different from any other stamps I have.  That's not bad.  That's expanding ya horizons.  Gettin' outta ya box.  Stuff like that.  Along the way, I found a stamp or two or three that reflect my philosophy on life.  Things like "life is a journey, not a destination."  I think I need that made into a stamp.  I digress.

I found this:  "Happiness is found along the way - not at the end of the road."  Sol Gordon.  Perfect. 

I used this week's SCS sketch, flipped; more SC Marks & Co plus stash!  I love the boldness of the orange...and the seafoam green.  I made a PL card; I believe I'm gonna use this as a reminder / motivator for myself...tack it up in a place where I will see it and remember. 

Let me show you how my order arrived. 

Um...HELLO, sparkles!

The invoice is on the inside of this folded card! 

My PRIZE!  These were the items I selected.

 Let me show you what I made again.  ;-)

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a moo'valous day!

September UNITY Challenge

I'm so glad I learned about these UNITY {be inspired} Challenges! 

The challenge:  September UNITY {be inspired} Challenge  I love the inspiration picture...the cool aqua set against the warm colors of fall...with the pop of the white fence & trim on the house!  The sketch is great for showcasing some beautiful patterned paper.

My take:

First, I dug out my Unity KOTM for August 2012:  COLOR of the seasons.  Then I dug out my Studio Calico Central High kits.  I love the result!  I love the layers; I love the sentiment / tag / speech bubble cluster!  I love the apple paperclip!  The aqua is just gorgeous peeking out!  

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a moo'valous day!

SUPPLIES:
Stamps: Unity August 2012 KOTM COLOR of the seasons
Paper: SC Central High 6 x 6 Pad   
Ink: Prima Chalk Rusty Keys   
Accessories: SC Central High (various kits) 
 

August UNITY Challenge

I was inspired by the colors and loved the simplicity of the sketch.  The patterned paper shines in this sketch.

The challenge:  August Unity {be inspired} Challenge

My project:

I'm trying to kill the Valley High Scrapbook kit AND the Card kit, so I've used the papers from that kit.  Add some sequins and veneer hearts.  The sentiment is Unity, from June 2012 KOTM "sweet summer love".   That cream panel is a Project Life card from the Turquoise cardstock collection.

On the inside, greeting is SU!; crosshatching with the red hearts is from the same Unity KOTM.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a moo'valous day!

SUPPLY LIST:
Stamps: Unity June 2012 KOTM, SU! All Year Cheer
Paper: SC Valley High 6 x 6 pad, PTI White 
Ink: Prima Chalk Ladybug and Black Coal; SU! Crumb Cake
Accessories: SC Wood Veneer hearts, SC Woodgrain sequins (Atlantic Collection), red sequins 

it's a "not just a sliver day"

sit down.  I made a card.  LOL.  I was inspired by the MFT Sketch #130.  I pulled out my Heidi Swapp Sugar Chic 6 x 6 pad and...you still sitting?  I colored! 

I love the colors!  I love that Sugar Chic paper pad!  The buttons are from my stash!  I did have fun coloring.  I was in a coloring mood the other night.  And that sketch, was just right!

I finished the card up by fixing up the inside! 

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a moo'valous day!

Thinking of You

I'm participating in a monthly challenge with my fellow FlyBabies over on SCS.  This month we're making THINKING OF YOU cards!  I made several with the Studio Calico BLOCK PARTY card kit.  Here are two:

The card above was inspired by Lucy Abrams, a new member of the Studio Calico Card Team.   Below, I'm drawing inspiration from Gayagri Muladri, another member of the Card Team over @ Studio Calico. I love her CAS style!

I shared, in another post, another thinking of you card.  Below, I'm CASE-ing Dawn McVey!  You can read more about this card HERE.

 

I hope you enjoyed your visit!  Thanks for stopping by!  Have a moo'valous day!

hello, hello!

These cards...CASEing Gayatri Murali!  She is a new member of the Studio Calico design team - the card team!  Her gallery has wonderful CAS (clean and simple) cards!  They are so crisp!  I'm using my BLOCK PARTY Card kit.  All card kit.

I love those tiny blue bling flowers!

and I love those tiny bling stars! 

 

I like 'em both.  Which is your favorite?

 

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a moo'valous day!