Happy Sunday, everyone! It is still Inktober and decided to play with some ink today. My envelope was inspired by the envelope Nathifa made for the Tim Holtz Sizzix Christmas. If you would like to play along, everything I used follows.❄🛷🎄❄

• Papers: Stonehenge Aqua Coldpress Black 140lb, Blue shimmer paper from stash, Clear Vellum, Dina Wakely Collage Paper, Black sparkle cardstock remnant from stash, black fun foam
• Distress Spray Stain: Prize Ribbon, Black Soot, Uncharted Mariner
• Distress Oxide: Prize Ribbon
• Distress Mica Stain: WinterFrost
• Distress Ink: Picket Fench
• Ink: Archival Ink in Black Soot and Prize Ribbon, Versamark Watermark, Donna Salazar Mixed Media Inx in Pewter
• Embellishments: Distress Grit Paste-Snowfall, Ideology Doplets-Halloween, DecoArt Metallic Lustre in Silver Spark, Ranger White embossing powder
• Stamp sets by Stampersanonymous Tim Holtz: Stamptember 2022, Exquisite CMS453, Bold Tidings Mini CMS440
• Die Sets by Sizzix-Tim Holts: Thinlits Bowtied(666063), Thinlits Festive Bouquet(665565), Thinlits Framed Tags(666065), 3D Impresslits Snowflake (665376)
• Tools: Stamping platform, Splat Box, Envelope Punch Board, Sizzix Big Shot, small brayer

Directions:

Cut the watercolor card stock down to 8×8. Get out your splat box and have some fun with your stains! Allow drying time. Cut the watercolor card stock down to 8×8, score (3 3/8in) and cut using your punch board. Cut your tag using the pewter ink, brayer and leftover inked watercolor cardstock. Emboss your sentiment and then add metallic luster to the edges. Cut the foliage out of black sparkle cardstock and add grit paste randomly. Cut the bow out of the blue cardstock. Add metallic luster to the accent pieces of the bow. Cut your snowflakes out of vellum and apply grit past to the top of them. Layer and assemble your envelope. I used foam on the edges of the bow to stabilize it as this envelope will be mailed and the bow needed more support.

The liner is very simple and fast to make. Use the collage paper, archival ink, and stamp the flowers in Black Soot and then the snowflakes in Prize Ribbon. Cut down and glue inside. Yes, you will see your glue line; however, the envelope will be sealed and when opened I would expect these edges to be destroyed in the process.

“Have the Courage to Be Imperfect.” – Alfred Adler

Challenges entered: ABC Christmas Challenge, Allsorts Challenge, NBUS Challenge, Tic Tac Toe Challenge (embossing (sentiment), free (monochromatic), glitter (paper, texture paste) ), Twisted Thursday Challenge

Happy Monday evening, everyone. Just had to share a surprise that awaited me on SSS’s blog today. Thank you, Lols, for choosing my card Parisian Evening! I had such a fun time making it! Just had to share some joy that came my way today! Cheers, Makira

Happy Sunday, everyone! I went looking for a combination of orange, purple +1 color and ended up at the Color Catalog by Sara Rene Clark. I was completely inspired by her photo for this combination (dark blue, dusty blue, orange, purple, black). Although my photo does not show it well, all the “light” sources, including the reflections, are Distress Oxide Jack-O-Lantern Crayon. An ORANGE!! There is something peaceful and beautiful about this image. Thank you, TH, for all the wonderful products you give us to play with.

So, here is what you will need if you would like to make this:

• Papers: Arches Cold Press Watercolor Paper, Black Black Cardstock, Blue “sequin” cardstock from the stash, Black Fun Foam, clear acetate
• Distress Spray Stain: Wilted Violet, Prize Ribbon, Stormy Sky
• Distress Oxide: Black Soot, Picket Fence
• Distress Mica Stain: Jack-O-Lantern
• Distress Oxide Crayon: Jack=O=Lantern, Wilted Violet, Prize Ribbon, Black Soot, Stormy Sky
• Ink: Archival Ink in Black Soot, Versafine Onyx Black Ink, Copic Black fine liner 0.05mm, Black Sharpie
• Embellishments: Glossy Accents, Perfect Pearls, Foundry Wax in Sterling, Black Cherry Aroma embossing powder by Emerald Creek, Perfect Pearls in perfect pearl
• Stamp set: Stampersanonymous Tim Holtz, Cityscape CMS 224
• Tools: Stamping platform, Exacto blade/knife, Waterbrush

Directions:

Cut the watercolor card stock down to 3.5×12. Get out your splat box and have some fun with your stains! Dry with a heat tool. Cut the cardstock down to two equal sizes. Decide which you will use for your base and which you will use for the Paris stamp. Stamp Paris on your inked background using multiple layers of Archival ink and Onyx Black Ink. While the ink is wet, apply your embossing powder and emboss. Cut out your cityscape using an Exacto blade. Color the highlights of your city using crayon or mica spray and a water brush on your city as you like. Using your cut-out, decide where the line of demarcation will be for the city vs. the water. Using Versamark Onyx black ink, the stamping platform, and acetate, stamp the city a second time and then use the acetate to “transfer” the city for your reflection on the paper. This is textured watercolor paper, so it will not stamp perfectly. GREAT! It is a reflection and not to be perfect! Scribble crayons on a glass mat and use the water pen to pick up colors and add more color and softness to the reflection. Tired? Go get some coffee! Order Starbucks for delivery. YUM!!! White Chocolate Mocha Venti, please!!!! Cover the “water” with paper and add “stars” with Gilding wax. Then cover the city, using Perfect Pearls add the stars’ reflection on the water. Add the light reflections using either DO crayon or mica stain in Jack-O-Lantern. Ink the city’s and sky’s edges with Black Soot and a blending tool. Using a fan brush, add “wisps” and water lines to your water using Glossy Accents. Allow drying time. Ink the edges of the water with Picket Fence using a blending tool. Place your city on the card front and outline using the Copic fine liner. Fill in the outline with Sharpie to give the city a dark “glow.” Mount your city on black fun foam and glue to the card front. Frame with Black Black cardstock and blue sequined cardstock. Add to a card base made from Black Black cardstock. Have fun!

Here’s the inspiration photo and color guide:

Thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!

Here’s to the ones that inspire us and don’t even know!!!

Challenges entered: Craft Roulette, SSS Monday Challenge, NBUS Challenge, The Card Concept Challenge (Paris-obviously!), Time Out Challenge, The Dream Factory Challenge (stars)

Designer Spotlit card at SSS Monday Challenge, The Dream Factory Challenge

Hi Everyone…welcome to another month on the Colorful Options Blog. Thank you for joining us for last month’s challenge, and we hope you can join us this month, too, because it’s time for a new challenge.

And the theme for this month is……

ORANGE

I created a one-layer card featuring a scarecrow that is up to no good. I used Tim Holtz/Stampersanonymous The Scarecrow, Tangled Webs, Unraveled, Halloween Cutouts, and the Ton’s Couture Cling Stamp.

My card started out with simple stamping and masking using the Ton’s “city” stamp, the scarecrow, and the spider in Archival Ground Expesso. I stamped the webs in Archival Spiced Marmalade. Then it was on to the glorious world of colors, layers and shading. Honestly, I had a hard time achieving the look I wanted and layered mediums and colors until I achieved a result close to what I was going for. I would have like the scarecrow to glow more; however, I would have to add more contrast to make that happen and I didn’t want the card to go that dark. The best instruction on coloring/achieving a glow affect is from Lisa Mitrochin on Youtube.

Here’s what I used to “color”:

• Distress Oxide Ink: Carved Pumpkin, Dried Marigold.
• Distress Crayons: Decayed, Ripe Persimmon, Ground Expresso
• Distress Watercolor Pencils: Vintage Photo, Fossilized Amber, Spiced Marmilade
• Prismacolor pencils: PC938, PC915, PC917,PC918,PC118,PC941,PC946,PC1082,PC1058
• White Gel Pen
• Black Liquid Ink

Why don’t you pop over to the Colorful Options Challenge and check out the amazing creations from my very talented Design Team mates and as always you have until Friday October the 28th 11:59pm US CST time…5:59am(Saturday, October 29th) UK time…6:59am(Saturday, October 29th) CET to join in with the chance to win a  Sizzix-Tim Holtz Thinlit-Frightful Things set.

You can also follow the Colorful Options Challenge on Instagram

and if you use Instagram…

please add #colorfuloptionschallenge to your entry uploads so we can see them on there too

I look forward to seeing what you create this month…

Have Fun and Happy Crafting

Shared With: SSS Monday Challenge, Tic Tac Toe Challenge (Embossing, Spooky, Ink Blending), Pearly Sparkles Challenge

Hello everyone! Happy October! Looking for a quick and colorful Halloween card? This one is it! Make time is about an hour-ish.

Start with a spiderweb cardstock and ink it with Distress Oxide in Carved Pumpkin. Cut your skulls out of inked scraps from previous projects. Emboss the sentiment (Tim Holtz Halloween Tiny Text) with Carved Pumpkin embossing powder. Mount everything with foam tape and place it on a black card front. Easy, easy!

As it is the beginning of October, there is a new challenge at the Colorful Options Challenge. Treacherous Imaginations serves as my rainbow-inspired and color-of-the-month contribution.

Go visit the Colorful Options Challenge and check out the amazing creations from the talented Design Team. You have until Friday October the 28th 11:59pm US CST time…5:59am(Saturday, October 29th) UK time…6:59am(Saturday, October 29th) CET to join in with the chance to win a  Sizzix-Tim Holtz Thinlit-Frightful Things set. Yep, the same one I used to make this card.

Scare up some fun this Halloween!

Hello everyone! Welcome to another Tim Holtz-mixed media card. This card was inspired by the 2021 Sizzix Christmas release last year, in particular Jan Hobbin’s card with Eugene. Like many mixed-media makes, this is not a CAS nor a fast card to make.

My card started out with using Distressed Oxide Paints to paint pour on acrylic paper. Gladys was cut out of various pinks, gold, and white. Her pupils are a liquid pearl. The snowflakes and wreath were cut out of bristol cardstock. The wreath is inked, splattered with distress oxide, and embellished with Nuvo drops. The snowflakes had glittered adhered to them with collage medium. The “ice” in the background is an embossed acetate; to glue it down, I ran the glue lines where the grout lines are in the cobblestone. This way, if the glue did not dry clear, it would give an appearance of snow between the stones. 😁 I used digital paper for the frame and inked the front of my card base with oxide to add a little more green. Enjoy!

Supplies used:

• Papers: Nina Solar White 110 lb cardstock, Neenah Bright White 65lb cardstock, Strathmore Bristol Smooth Cardstock, Strathmore Acrylic Paper, pink cardstock from the stash, Stencil Acetate generic
• Inks: Distress Oxide (Speckled Egg, Picked Raspberry, Rustic Wilderness)
• Sizzix dies – Tim Holtz: Gladys, Holiday Words Script, Wreath & Snowflake
• Embellishments: Nuvo Drops Jewel Drops(Honeysuckle), Nuvo Drops (Simply White), Liquid pearls (Mermaid), Distress Glitter (Clear Rock Candy)
• Distress Collage Medium
• Acrylic Paint: Distress Paint (Speckled Egg, Picked Raspberry), Golden (Interference Gold), Deco Art White,
• Pouring Medium: Liquitex
• Embossing Folder: Tim Holtz, 3d Cobblestone
• Impresslit: 3D Snowflake

Thankful Thursday: Try to be a Rainbow in Someone Else’s Cloud.

Challenges entered: SSS Monday Challenge, Can You Handle the Pressure?, Critter Crazy Challenge, Double Trouble Challenge, Pearly Sparkles Challenge, Time Out Challenge, Tic Tac Toe Challenge (splatter, any sentiment, circle-the wreath)

Designer Spotlit card at Time Out Challenge, Tic Tac Toe Challenge, Double Trouble Challenge.

Hello, everyone! Welcome to another Sunday post with inspiration from Friday’s Craft Roulette. This week’s parameters were:

Fun Fold Card, Starts with D, Dusty Hues, Pennants

I created a fairly simple bookbinding card using primarily die cuts from my stash.

My card started out with some planning time. I chose this dusty blue color palette and then looked for supplies in different mediums that would work with it.

I found this paper from Tim Holtz’s Ideology Backdrops Vol 1 and thought the colors were perfect for this palette. I used a die from the Crazy Dog die set and one from the Mischievous Cat set. Aren’t they a perfect base for a pet sitter thank you card? I ended up using just the dies and the coordinating solid color papers for this card. I did ink the thanks in Chipped Sapphire to darken it. My “pennants” are my version and hang from the left side of the card.

If you are unfamiliar with Craft Roulette, it is a live stream on Fridays at 6:30 CST that challenges us, card makers and paper crafters. In the past, I entered a paper craft instead of a card, and there was no problem; just make a paper craft with your version of that week’s parameters. Why don’t you pop over to Craft Roulette Live and check them out?!

Take care, and Happy Crafting!

Challenges entered: Critter Crazy Challenge, Craft Roulette, SSS Wednesday Challenge, Tic Tac Toe Challenge (Die Cut, Patterned Paper (background), Ribbon (bakers twine).

“I believe…. I believe… I know it’s silly, but I believe.”

It is true; no ink in this project.

Does anyone remember this quote? 💚💚💚 that movie. Is it too early to start watching? Thoughts? Until then, this little, 7in x 9in, framed decor will have to do.

This started as a card, but it had to go larger to get the feel I was looking for. 🤣

Supplies:

• Papers: Strathmore Acrylic Cardstock, SSS Acetate, Nina Solar White 110lb cardstock
• Acrylic Paints: Folk Art (Red, White, Colorshift Dragon Flash-green), Golden (Titan Buff)
• Liquitex: Acrylic Pour Medium
• SVG-Design: Believe (SVGDesignsByKate)
• Distress crackle pain: Clear Rock Candy
• Black Vinyl

Directions:

Cut the acrylic card stock down to 4.5×6. Mix your acrylic paints with the pouring medium. There are a host of acrylic pouring videos on Youtube to help you with this. Acrylic was poured on the cardstock and allowed to dry for about 30 hours. Cut various frames and glue layers together. I used my Cricut and the square shape to create the sized frames needed. Glue your frame layers together. Once dry, apply crackle paint to the topside of the structures for texture. Cut acetate down to the desired size. Cut the SVG out of black vinyl and center it on the acetate. Layer your acetate below the decorative frame layer. Place your acrylic pour in your frame and seal the back.

One more fun quote from Miracle on 34th …

“But… but maybe he’s only a little crazy like painters or composers or… or some of those men in Washington”

Should crafters be on this list? Mmmmm…. maybe?? 😁

Challenges entered: SSS Monday Challenge, TicTacToe Challenge (Die-square, Layers-yep, Black), The Fairy and Unicorn Challenge, Double Trouble Challenge,

Happy Inky Sunday! My cat friend Mischief claims that the candy made him do it. Any believers? Perhaps it is just a happy accident?!

This is a great card layout when you want some inky fun. The background is a “spooky” moon using TH’s moon stencil; many Youtube videos show this technique. Then a simple background stamping using archival ink. The images on the card consist of various die cuts. Not perhaps the quickest card to make, but a very fun one.

Supplies:

• Papers: Archival Cold Press Watercolor Paper, Green cardstock from my stash, Black Black Cardstock, Black fun foam (mounting)
• Dies: Tim Holtz Sizzix (Tiny Type Upper, Alphanumeric Classic Lower, Toil & Trouble)
• StampersAnonymous: Tim Holtz Sketch Manor
• Cricut files: “old boot”
• Stencils: Tim Holtz Layering Stencil Moon Mask
• Inks: Distress Ink Spray (Rustic Wilderness, Twisted Citron, Squeezed Lemonade, Carved Pumpkin, Black Soot), Distress Mica Stain (Harvest Moon, Burning Ember, Jack-O-Lantern), Distress Ink Pad(Rustic Wilderness, Twisted Citron); Distress Oxide Ink Pad (Squeezed Lemonade), Distress Archival Ink (Rustic Wilderness)
• Embellishments: Purple, Green, Gold Glitter Gel Pens

Directions:

Cut the watercolor card stock down to 4.0″ to 5.25″ Place your moon mask and spray until you are happy with the result. Watch the Youtube link above for more details on the basic background. Allow drying. Use the second moon mask, Distress Oxide Ink, and a Blending brush to add accents. Use some water and a brush to smudge the edges of the details if needed. Stamp a background scene with Archival Ink. Smudge the edges with Distress Ink. Cut your dies (2 of the cat and broom). Add details to the die cuts with the glitter gel pens. Arrange and adhere. Add matting as desired; I used a thin black with a wide green prior to mounting on my card base.

BTW, I did correct the “one” for the 31 and made it shorter. No image to prove this though. LOL😁

Witching you a happy long weekend!

Challenges entered: Two Old Bats Halloween, Fairy and Unicorn Challenge, Time Out Challenge, SSS Monday Challenge, SSS Wednesday Challenge, The Paper Players Challenge, Double Trouble Challenge, Craft Your Stash Challenge, This is Halloween Challenge

With many crafters returning or starting college, there is a simple way to balance school and work life . . . COFFEE! Our Stampingbella friend doesn’t start her day before her first cup of Joe; I wish I looked this cute in bunny slippers and curlers! Don’t forget that September 29th is National Coffee Day!

As it is the beginning of September, there is a new challenge at the Colorful Options Challenge. The color of the month, you ask? BROWN! My Oddball with a Coffee serves as my color-of-the-month contribution

May all that you do in this new month be productive and successful. Happy New Month to you, my sweet friends.