Harvest Bouquet

From The Funkie Junkie

Lucky me! I got to set the challenge on the Creative Card Crew challenge blog this week. I chose "Strings Attached". You can use any kind of string/fiber on your card. I chose this cool rope hemp, but you may use plain old string, embroidry thread, crochet thread, yarn, hemp twine or ribbon to name a few suggestions. I can't wait to see what beautiful embellishments all the participants come up with.

For my design team card, I used the recent free digi from the Layers of Color fall release party over the past weekend. Owner and artist, Laura, offered eight free digis and two are still available. So be sure to stop by to pick up your free digis and check out the awesome new stamp sets, nine in all, released this weekend! Unfortunately, this was one that was only offered for a few days so I'm sorry if you missed out. I really love it and am very happy with the way this card turned out.

Okay, now for the details: the shell is More Mustard followed by a layer of textured green from the DCWV Heritage pad (last year). The designer paper is from MME and I stamped aand clear embossed the top layer with one of the sunflower stamps from the old SU Summer Sunflower set. The paper it is stamped on is More Mustard sprayed with Tim Holtz Butterscotch alcohol ink. I printed the digi onto Neenah Solar White and heat set the ink so it wouldn't smear. It was colored with Copics, masked and sponged with Tim Holtz distress inks - first Old Paper, then closer in with Scattered Straw and last around the very edges with Faded Corduroy. To give the image a little background, I added some dots with Copic #YR23. Then, in the spirit of last week's CCC doodle challenge, I added dots around the Nestie frame and carried that throughout the card. The little fall leaf flourish stamp on the inner panel is from Inkadinkado. Spellbinder dies used were Nestabilities Labels 4 and Lattice Borderabilities.

Be sure to stop by the Creative Card Crew to see what those talented ladies came up with for the Strings Attached challenge. If you have time, check out some of the participants' blogs too. Lots of talent there! Hope you can play along with us for this challenge!

Other challenges I am entering this card in:

Quixotic Challenges - add stitching to your card

Lots To Do - use dry or heat embossing on your card

Creative Inspirations - New or Neglected

Rejoice!

From The Funkie Junkie

I made this card with the free digi Herald Angel from Layers of Color. Don't forget, their big Fall release party is coming up this weekend, November 14th and 15th. There are already four free digis on their site to celebrate this event and there will be even more at the release party! And have you entered their $100 gift certificate drawing and the drawing to receive all nine newly released stamp sets? If you haven't, hurry on over to the Layers of Color bog and get yourself signed up!

Whew, I got so excited about the release that I almost forgot to give you the details of this card. The background was stamped in Versamark with a flourish from the Old World Flourishes set and gold embossed. I really am loving this flourish set to create my own designer paper! And the Herald Angel was printed out on my home computer with the Layers of Color digi I picked up on their site. The medallion was cut with a Spellbinders die and backed with SU gold paper. The star (die cut with a Sizzix die) is binged up a bit with JudiKins Egyptian Gold embossing powder - the glitter is right in the EP. That EP was a big favorite of mine last Christmas season, but this is the first time it's been out this season. I'm sure you'll be seeing much more of it over the next few weeks.

Almost time for work - wishing you blessings on your day!

Update: This card was featured on Card of the Week.

A Time to Mourn

From The Funkie Junkie

Quick post this morning because I have to fly out the door for work in exactly 31 minutes and haven't even started to get ready! No time to finish off the inside of this card before posting. When I finish it later this week, I'll update this post with shots of the inside.

This card was made with the Old World Flourishes set from Layers of Color. It is so wonderfully flexible and I have a suspicion that it is going to be my go to set for dozens of future cards. I needed a sympathy card and another Beatitude came to mind while I was sitting in church this past Sunday listening to the homily on the Beatitues. I used the large flourish from this set to create my background paper. Plus I clear embossed the same flourish pattern on the black for a black-on-black effect. The sentiment was computer generated. I think everything else is pretty self evident, but post any questions you have and I'll be happy to fill in any details of interest.

Don't forget, Layers of Color has a huge autumn release coming up November 14th and 15th. Get your pre-release party favors the week of November 7th. More details here.

Have a BLESSED day!

Update: This card was featured on Card of the Week.

Blessed Are The...

From The Funkie Junkie

I am so honored to be asked to be a part of the guest design team for the Autum Release for Layers of Color. We're all waiting with great anticipation to see the nine new stamp sets being released November 14th and 15th. Although they are a clear art stamp company, there will be free digis (party favors) for all during the week of November 7th so be sure to go to their website and grab yours! And you'll want to return on November 14th and 15th for the release blog hop and more party favors for all!

Here's my first card using stamps from the Old World Flourish and the Gothic Crosses sets. Of course these vintagy art stamps had an immediate appeal to me because you know I love all things vintage - sigh...and look at what I created with them. I'm a Roman Catholic and I have already been reading the Gospel reading for this Sunday. I had been brainstorming on what I could make that would really pack a punch. When I read this week's Gospel, it just struck me as perfect. It's Matthew 5:1-12 from the Sermon on the Mount containing the Beatitudes which sometimes are so hard for us to understand...Blessed are the poor in spirit - what does that mean? The Beatitudes aren't a list of commandments that we have to live by if we want to follow Jesus. Instead they show us how we can live when the source of our life is Jesus. Because of Him we are "Blessed", our lives reflect a profound change in us, the result of His grace, which enables us to be poor in spirit, gentle, merciful, peacemakers, etc.

I knew I wanted to use chipboard letters to spell out Blessed but I didn't have a stamp for the Beatitude that I had chosen so I printed it out using my computer but also stamped it with one of the LOC stamps, stamped off one time first. The chipboard letters were cut using the Cuttlebug Olivia alphabet set and then heat embossed using Tim Holtz Vintage Photo distress embossing powder, which was also used stencil-like with the Spellbinders Fleur De Lis Borderabilities. Other Spellbinder dies used were the Oval, Tag and Labels 1. The DSP is SU retired Brocade Backgrounds. Tim Holtz Antique Antique Linen distress ink was sponged on the Very Vanilla and Close to Cocoa ink was sponged on the edges of the DSP. The edges were distressed with scissors. And of course the inside panels are also finished off to compliment the front panel.





Thanks for stopping by to see my latest work. Be sure to check out the rest of the LOC Design Team and Guest Designers to see what they have created using LOC stamps.

Oh, and I almost forgot. I am entering this card in the following challenges:

PaperPlay Challanges - Favorite Embellishments - I think it is a toss up for me - stitching or die cuts!

Daring Cardmakers - These are a few of my favorite things - I think this is just the coolest challenge! You had to include at least five of your favorite tings on your card. If you can get to 10, then you get a virtual gold star. I started looking at this card and it is a gallery of favs for me. Here's my list: layers, stitching, die cuts, tag, popped up, chipboard letters, distressing, embossing, ribbon, pearls, flourishes

Mojo Monday - sketch challenge. I have to admit, I pushed the limits of the sketch a bit, bit I really did use it. I really struggled with the layout of this card until I saw that sketch an then it all fell into place!


Update: This card was featured on Card of the Week.