Double Trouble 6th Anniversary - Birthday Greetings

Hello Friends and Happy Monday!  I'm honored to be a Guest Designer on the Double Trouble Challenge Blog today, and the team is celebrating their 6th Anniversary with a fun Raffle.  You have a choice of 4 Raffle Themes:  Anniversary, Father's Day, Birthday or Graduation.  The Option this round is:  Use Kraft Paper, Brown Paper Bag, etc.  And the third Option is to enter your project at any of the previous challenge partners.

For my project today, I've used the Altenew Potted Plants Stamp Set to create a Birthday themed Card and have incorporated Kraft Card into my design.

To start, I did a bit of minor masking to stamp the Terra Cotta Pot and Snake Plant (or mother-in-law's tongue, as my Grandmother called it).  The images have been stamped using Catherine Pooler inks in shades of green and brown.  I went over the stamp images using Prismacolor Pencils, in order to add some shading and highlights.

The patterned papers are from a Recollections Vintage themed paper pad, the greeting is from the Word Fragments Stamp Set by Woodware.  I've popped the focal panel and sentiment strip on craft foam, and added some golden thread from Spellbinders.  Lastly, chocolate brown gems from Kat Scrappiness have been added to finish out the design.  This card is giving me masculine vibes, which wasn't intended but I'm happy it worked out that way.  I needed more masculine cards in my stash.

Please visit the Double Trouble Challenge Blog and enter the Anniversary Raffle.  You're sure to have some fun and just may be a winner!  Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:

Outlawz Monday Greetings

We Love Stamping

Stamping Sensations

613 Avenue Create

All Sorts

Gem of a Craft Challenge

Polkadoodles

Daisy Chain Challenge

Creative Crafters

Ally's Angels

Rabisco

Crafts Galore Encore

Doodled Flowers

Hello and Happy 1st Day of June!  Wow, where did the Spring go?  Although, here in Florida, we don't know what Spring is...only Summer, an Autumn that feels like Summer, a Winter that feels like Autumn and then Summer again LOL!

Today begins a new challenge month at The Paper Funday Challenge Blog.  The theme is Always Anything Goes and this months' optional twist is:  Masculine.  Our generous sponsors are Varada Sharma Designs and Digi Doodle Studios.  

For my design team project, I've used the Doodled Flowers digi stamp from Varada Sharma to create an A2 sized card.  A Huge Thank You to our sponsors for providing the images for the team to use.

I recently purchased an affordable monochrome laser printer because I wanted the ability to do more with digital images.  For example, laser printer toner allows you to hot foil the images you print.  For this image, I printed the image on 80 lb. Neenah Classic Crest Solar White card and then heat foiled using my laminator.  I tried to capture the foiling and it is truly gorgeous.

In this digi set, the main focal image is included along with separate flower heads and leaves.  I've printed and foiled the extra flower heads, fussy cut and popped on craft foam for dimension.  The sentiment is included in the set and you guessed it...I foiled it also!

The panel was lightly inked with Catherine Pooler Cumberbund Blue Ink and adhered flat to the card base.  For a final touch, enamel dots from Kat Scrappiness were added for additional visual interest.

Please join us at The Paper Funday Challenge this month.  We would love to see your projects and hope to inspire you with ours.

Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:

Creatalicious

2 Sisters on a Blog

Crafting Happiness

NBUS

Love to Craft

Paperbabe

Pattie's Creations

Creative Fingers

Creative Moments

Sparkles

Word Art Wednesday

Your Scrapbook Place

Altenew Academy AECP Level 1 - For the Guys

Hello Friends and welcome back.  Today, I'm sharing projects created for the Altenew Academy Level 1 Course "For the Guys".  Creating Masculine cards can be challenging however this course provides tips and techniques for creating cards for those men and boys in your life.

For my first card, I wanted to follow a theme from the course and create a card for a young or tween boy. I realized I seldom create cards for boys so it was time to use class inspiration and create a fun card using the Altenew Ori Kami Stamp Set.

To start, I created my own background on a panel of gray card by stamping the Elephant image using Altenew Charcoal Suit Crisp Dye Ink.  I "second generation stamped" or inked up the image, stamped off on scrap paper once and then onto the card panel, using Altenew Silver Lake Crisp Dye Ink. This creates a faint stamped image.

I stamped the Elephant on Turquoise card using the same Charcoal Suit Crisp Dye Ink and fussy cut the images.  I splattered the panel with White Acrylic Gloss Spray and watered Charcoal Suit ink, backed the focal with purple card and adhered to the card base.  I stamped the sentiment in 2 parts, arranged the design and adhered to the card panel, popping up one Elephant and the sentiment strips on craft foam.  Lastly, added gray enamel dots for additional interest.

My second card was created using the Altenew Shattered Triangle Die Set.  I die cut 7 triangle bases and tops from patterned paper and adhered together.  For additional interest, I inlaid a few of the waste pieces back into the triangle tops. 

I created a mat of patterned paper, backed with kraft card and adhered all to a card base of cream cardstock.  I arranged the triangles flat to the card panel and stamped the sentiment on a snippet of Kraft card, popping the strip on craft foam before adhering to the focal panel.

Lastly, adding enamel dots to complete this simple yet effective card.  This was a great AECP course.  Masculine cards are hard for me as my thoughts always go to pretty florals but this course provided the inspiration to think outside the box and the confidence to create some fun designs for the guys.

Thanks for visiting and reading through my post today.  Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

Products Used:

Altenew Ori Kami Stamp Set

Altenew Shattered Triangle Die Set

Altenews Gentlemen's Gray Crisp Dye Ink Mini Cube Set

Recollections Card Stock and Patterned Papers

Art Glitter Glue Liquid Adhesive

Cardz TV Ticket Talk 2 Stamp Set

Cardz TV Mini Messages Stamp Set

Maymay Made It Sittin' Tree Stamp Set

Fiskars Outline Alpha Stamp Set

**Challenges Entered:

Ori Kami Card:

Digi Choosday

TTCRD

Crafting Happiness

Sweet Stampin'

Gem of a Challenge

Polkadoodles

CCC Digi Creations

Let's Craft and Create

Crafty Animals

Cute Card Thursday

Shattered Triangles Card:

Alphabet Challenge

Paperbabe

Happy Little Stampers Die Challenge

Masculine Birthday

Hello and Happy Wednesday!  Today is the 1st Wednesday of the month and it's time for a new monthly challenge at the Paper Funday Challenges.  As always, the theme is Anything Goes with the Optional Twist this month of Sparkle and/or Shine.

The sponsors for this months' challenge are the wonderful Jan's Digi Stamps and Colour of Love.  For my design team project, I decided to go with the Twist and create something featuring Sparkle and/or shine...and I chose Shine.

I need masculine cards in my stash (don't we all) as I just don't think of making them and thought how can I create a masculine card that sparkles and/or shines.  I sat down and went through my dies and stamps and BINGO....I can make it shine!

I stenciled a background using Vintage Photo Distress Oxide Ink and stamped the Timepiece image; which is an old stamp I no longer have the package for so unsure of the maker, tore the edges of the panel and place foam pads behind.  Still needing shine, I die cut gear pieces from gold mirror card and placed flat on a mat of wood patterned paper from P13, then adhered all to a mat of gold mirror card.  I heat embossed the sentiment using fine detail gold powder and out the design all together.  

I felt like the card needed something else and I'm a fan of bells and whistles but on a masculine card, I thought "what can I use?" then it came to me, the circle bits from the middle of the gears.  I adhered to the focal panel and they look like brads.  

Please join us at The Paper Funday Challenges, we hope to inspire you with our designs and look forward to seeing your creations.

Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:

Lil Red Wagon

Simon Says Stamp Wed. Challenge

The Male Room

Clever Dexter - favorite techniques are heat embossing and ink blending

Friendship Challenge

Pearly Sparkles

Sandee & Amelie's Steampunk Challenge

The House that Stamps Built

Watercooler Wednesday

Double Trouble

Paperbabe

Scrapping 4 Fun

Masculine Birthday Greetings

Hello and Happy Sunday.  Today is a quick make and share featuring an older Stampin' Up image and sentiment from the Wetlands Set.

I used an ink smooshing technqiue but adding color to a long, rectangular stamping block with Arteza Real Brush Markers and spritzing with water.  Then "stamping" on the card, I got an organic feeling color scheme.  I let dry and stamped the image and sentiment over the color.  This is my take on a masculine card, I don't make many and this is the only one I currently have in my stash.....that is sad indeed.  I must set out to create more masculine cards!

Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends

Pixie's Crafty Workshop

Stamping Sensations

Corrosive Challenge

Addicted to CAS

Crafty Catz

Pattie's Creations

Sweet Stampers

Lost Portal to Creativity

Lemon Shortbread

The Paper Funday Challenges - Anything Goes With Twist: Masculine

Hello and Happy June!  Today starts a new monthly challenge at The Paper Funday Challenges with a theme of Anything Goes with Optional Twist of Masculine.  The sponsor for this month is Keepin' It Kawaii Design on Etsy.  

My design team project was created using the optional Twist of Masculine; I created a Father's Day Card using the Fishing Trip clip art collection.  There are plenty of elements in this collection to create all sorts of cards with any theme.  They images are pre-colored so it makes for a quick and easy card.

This card measures A2 and I inked a panel that covers the entire front of base with Distress Oxide Inks.  I printed the images out twice, fussy cut and decoupaged theme for dimension.  Stamped the sentiment and Viola!  Done.  Quick, easy and Cute.

We hope you will join us at The Paper Funday Challenges this month and share your projects.  We would love to see your creations and hope we will inspire you in some way.

Until Next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:

Word Art Wednesday

Penny's Paper Crafty Challenges

Try It On Tuesday

Unicorn Challenge

Cardz 4 Guys

Crafty Creations Challenge - Catch Your Heart

Hello, it's time for a new challenge at Crafty Creations and the sponsor for this challenge is the awesome Fred She Said Digital Images.

For my design team project, I had the honor of using the Catch Your Heart image.  This would make a sweet Valentine's Day card for the man in your life.  I did create this card with Valentine's Day in mind but this image isn't limited to that occasion; it can be used for so many other occasions.  

This card measures 5.25" square and is a top fold (tent-fold) design.  I used some digital papers I had in my stash and some Nuvo Drops in the color Silver Moondust.  I printed two images so I could have a second heart.  I fussy cut that heart and popped up on dimensionals for a 3D (decoupaged) effect.  

The sentiment is part of the image package along with a pre-colored image.  I chose the Black and White image and colored up with Spectrum Noir Alcohol markers.

I hope you'll join us at Crafty Creations for this challenge and will be inspired by the Design Teams' projects.  

Also, please visit the new challenge blog The Paper Funday Challenge Blog - For all things Paper

Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:
Crafty Sentiments
Digi Choosday #2
Through the Craft Room Door
Lemon Shortbread

Masculine Card Round-Up

Hello Everyone!  I hope your weekend was Spectacular!

Today I want to share some masculine cards I created this past weekend.  With Father's Day fast approaching, I have been thinking about masculine designs. 

The first card is a Father's Day card I created for my husband using a Steampunk-ish Theme with Gears and Kraft Colored card.

I used Gear die cuts that I applied Pearl-Ex Mica Powders to for the aged, patina look.  To get the powders to stick, I used the Palette Stamp and Stick Glue Pad to apply the sticky glue type substance on the die cuts.  I used an old , small, inexpensive watercolor brush to apply the powders and set with the heat tool.  I applied micro glaze to the die cuts to ensure the powders would not smudge off. 

I used two types of ribbon from my stash and inked everything up with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.  This card measures 5" x 5".

This card is for a Birthday, created using some awesome digital images and papers from the Etsy Seller Scrapbookingdom.  I used a Border Gear die cut, simply cut from black card.  I heat embossed the sentiment.  This card measures 5.5" x 4.25" top folding landscape.

Continuing with the Biker Theme, another Birthday Card using more digital images and papers from Scrapbookingdom.  These images are so clear and realistic, I'm more than impressed!  This is a top folding, landscape card measuring 5.5" x 4.25".

Last but not least, a Gatefold Birthday card with a simplistic design.  The card measures 5.5" x 4.25".  I'm fond of the color scheme, I really like blues and browns for a masculine card.

That's all I have for you today.  I hope you enjoyed the post and were inspired to create some awesome masculine cards.  Any of these cards would also be great for Father's Day.

Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

** I support the following card challenges:  Artistic Inspirations Challenge #202, Cardz TV Anything Goes #51, Cardz 4 Guyz Metal Madness, Artistic Inspirations, Cute n Crafty Challenge Blog