Winter Pocket Letter

This winter is continuing to stretch out in front of me, so I decided it was time for some seasonal crafting. Specifically, I had an impulse to make something for one of my best friends and settled easily upon a winter-themed pocket letter. If you are not familiar with pocket letters, or have heard about them but do not know what they are all about, check out Janette Lane's blog for a rundown.

Starting my letter was easy because I already had two non-Christmas, winter-specific paper pads, so I did not have to spend too much time coordinating papers. Of the two, the Recollections "Winter Frost" pad quickly won me over due to its muted blues and silver foil accented paper. Its single-sided paper gave me room to write on the back of each card without competing against strong patterns. From there, I grabbed some scrap papers and a few embellishments, then set to arranging and gluing!

{crafted while listening to "Disappearing World" by Fair}

Entered in:
Creative Fingers - Challenge #103 Anything Goes
Word Art Wednesday - Challenge #220 Anything Goes

Robin Egg & Gold "Thanks" Card

Stampin' Royalty's picture challenge has been stuck in my head all week, so I rose to the challenge!

Stampin' Royalty's inspirational picture

This color scheme did challenge me, but the card gave me a chance to use some scrap papers and a fancy accordion-fold card die I do not use often. The "thanks" is from a Tim Holtz Sizzix script words die set that I am finding invaluable, and was cut from adhesive white foam. Fun unconventional embellishments: The robin egg, white and gold flower was cut from a napkin and gold tissue paper, and the bit of soft white fuzz behind the flower embellishments is torn dryer sheet!

Entered in:
Creative Fingers - Challenge #102 Anything Goes
Dream Valley - Challenge #125 "Sparkle Bling and Embellish"
Shopping Our Stash - Challenge #238 "Bent Out Of Shape"
Stampin' Royalty - Challenge #316 Picture Inspiration
Word Art Wednesday - Challenge #219 Anything Goes

V-Day Card 2.0

A few days ago, my husband and I sat down with our neighbors after dinner and made some Valentine's Day cards. I brought a small selection of Valentine-appropriate crafting supplies from my stash, and made a quick cute little card for my husband.

It is a pretty simple card: "You & Me" journal card (edge-inked) and stash scrap paper on dark pink Core'dination cardstock, with added brads, embroidery floss, a winged heart sticker, and champagne crystals.

Entered in:
Aud Sentiments - Challenge #148 "Use a Love Sentiment"
Crafting By Designs - "Hearts" Challenge
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper - February Anything Goes
Create and Inspire - Challenge #39 Anything Goes
Creative Fingers - Challenge #102 anything goes
Creative Moments - Challenge #86 Anything Goes/Twist of Love/Romance
Eclectic Ellapu - Pink Team Challenge "Love Actually"
Fairytale Challenge - #136 St. Valentine's Day
Fan-Tastic Tuesday - Challenge #123 "So In Love"
Get Creative - Challenge #32 "Must Include Hearts"
Glitter 'N' Sparkle - Challenge #175 "Love Is In The Air"
Lunagirl Moonbeams & Lunagirl.com - February Love Challenge
Moving Along With The Times - Challenge #13 "Things With Wings"
Simply Papercraft - Challenge #23 Anything Goes 
Sisters of Craft - February Anything Goes Challenge
Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge - #117 "Sentimental"
The Paper Shelter - Challenge # 235 "Be My Valentine"
Try It On Tuesday - "A Fine Romance" Challenge
Word Art Wednesday - Challenge #219 Anything Goes
Your Scrapbook Place - February Anything Goes Challenge

Wonderland ATC 6

Number 6 in my Wonderland artist trading card set.

• Glue pale grey and white patterned paper to the base of cardboard food packaging painted with black acrylic paint. Leave just a tiny border of the black base visible behind the patterned paper.
• Stamp "Who stole the tarts?" sentiment in alternating directions using vintage photo Distress ink, then stamp the White Knight in deep lagoon Versafine ink.
• On a torn piece of dark blue handmade paper, stamp a quote from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in white ink:
  

  "The King of Hearts

  Called for the tarts,

  And beat the knave full sore;

  The Knave of Hearts

  Brought back the tarts,

  And vowed he'd steal no more."

• Final steps: glue down the quote, an iridescent plastic snowflake, and some die-cut leftovers of pearlescent patterned paper (these were leftover from a sympathy card).

{Crafted while listening to "Codes And Keys" by Death Cab For Cutie}

Entered in:
A Bit More Time to Craft - Challenge #13 anything goes
Cards Galore Encore Challenge - February Use a Digi or Stamp
Craft Stamper - February Technique Challenge "Text Me"
Craftyhazelnuts Patterned Paper - February anything goes
Creative Fingers - Challenge #102 anything goes
Creative Moments - Challenge #86 anything goes
Scrapper's Delights - Challenge #52 anything goes
Simply Papercrafts - Challenge #22 anything goes
Sisters of Craft -  February anything goes
Sparkles Monthly - Challenge #76 January (Monochromatic) Blues
Word Art Wednesday - Challenge #219 anything goes
Your Scrapbook Place - February anything goes

Wonderland ATC 5

Number 5 in my Wonderland artist trading card set.

• Like most of my ATCs, this base is cardboard food packaging. After a coat of black acrylic paint, add a layer of busy grey and yellow patterned paper, leaving a border of the black acrylic background visible.
• The third paper layer is pale yellow, edged and Red Queen stamped using tea dye Distress ink.
• The sentiment banner is cut from ivory cardstock, edged with the tea dye Distress ink, with the sentiment stamped in vintage photo Distress ink.
• Add tea-dyed lace to the bottom edge, some loops of gold metallic thread, and a little bit of shiny green ribbon before adhering the sentiment banner.

Entered in:
613 Avenue Create - Challenge #161 Anything Goes/Use Something From Your Stash
Brown Sugar - Challenge #183 anything goes
Crafty Girlz - Challenge #11 anything goes
Create and Inspire - Challenge #38 anything goes
Creative Fingers - Challenge #101 anything goes 
Get Creative - Challenge #31 Fantasy, Mythological
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - anything goes
Simply Papercraft - Challenge #22 anything goes
Word Art Wednesday - Challenge #218 anything goes

Wonderland ATC 4

Number 4 in my Wonderland artist trading card set.

• To a base of cardboard food packaging, adhere glossy DCWV ruler/measuring tape paper.
• Mute the patterned paper by adding two layers of glossy gel medium with a little white and metallic champagne acrylic paints mixed in. Brush a little silver acrylic paint around the edges as a border.
• Once the tinted gel medium dries, stamp Alice and the sentiment in black Staz-on ink, then color Alice with markers.
• The arrow is a wood piece, colored with blue marker and then muted with white acrylic paint. The non-flower embellishment is a metal piece tinted with black Adirondack alcohol ink and an adhesive crystal added to the center.
• Final steps: adhere the arrow, metal, and flower embellishments; add some pearl drops and highlight the flower stigma with a Viva pearl pen.

Entered in:
613 Avenue Create - Challenge #160 anything goes
A Bit More Time To Craft - Challenge #12 anything goes
Aud Sentiments - Challenge #147 anything goes + a sentiment 
Craft Stamper - January "Take a Stamp" challenge
Crafty Catz - Challenge #308 Girls Just Want To Have Fun
Crafty Girlz - Challenge #11 anything goes 
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper - January challenge
Creative Fingers - Challenge #101 anything goes
Get Creative - Challenge #31 Fantasy, Mythological, Etc... 
Lunagirl Moonbeams & Lunagirl.com - January Babies & Children challenge 
More Mixed Media - January Blue challenge
Not Just Cards - Challenge #28
Simply Papercraft - Challenge #21 anything goes 

Impatiently Awaiting Spring

This week's sketch challenge over at Freshly Made Sketches gave me a few firsts this week: first time I've focused on a sketch challenge, first time I have tried a CAS (Clean And Simple) challenge, and first time I have used my fancy dies to make a custom-shaped card. Hooray for stretching my skills!

 

This was a quickie card:

• Die cut card base from black cardstock using Spellbinders Labels 24.
• Stamp corner flourish stamp (from Close To My Heart "Adorning Corners" set) with Versamark ink, wet emboss with snowy, frosty, glittery embossing powder.
• Adhere glitter snowflake embellishment.
• Stamp sentiment with white pigment ink.

{Crafted while listening to "Carrie & Lowell" by Sufjan Stevens}

Entered in:
Crafting By Designs - Winter, Glitter, Sparkles Challenge
Freshly Made Sketches - Challenge #220
Moving Along With the Times - Challenge #12 Embossing (Wet or Dry)
Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge - #114 anything goes with a twist of frosty