12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist 2016 Day 2

linda2 Comments

the Day 2 of the 12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist theme is glitter; i love the look but not the mess, which is why i usually use stickles even if the bottles are hard to squeeze with my hands.

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copyright linda @ snailzpace.wordpress.com day 2 twelve tags ellen hutson 2016

both talented designers Julia Stainton & Kay Miller used circle shapes to either feature a glittery image or as a tag shape so i was inspired to create a tiny simple circle tag. i die cut a house from the back of the teal designer paper from my day 1 tag and covered it with double sided adhesive paper and crystal ritz glitter.

thanks for popping by.

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist 2016 Day 1

linda3 Comments

i created another tag for Day 1 of the 12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist using the colour palette of red, teal, green and pink:

http://ellenhutson.typepad.com/the_classroom_new/2016/12/12-tags-of-christmas-with-a-feminine-twist-2016-meets-mix-it-up-challenge-day-1-by-laurel-beard-and-.html

i was inspired by both Laurel Beard and Sandy Allnock, who coloured images for their festive tags.

this time i painted a cute penny black image (love at xmas) with twinkling H2Os and winsor & newton watercolour paints. the background is painted with teal and i used a teal paper for the base; of course i added stickles for the snow and around the edge of the image and i added white flocking for the fur trim. the sentiment is a gold peel off that i coloured with a red permanent marker.

thanks for popping by.

It’s Snowing!

linda4 Comments

i just finished this card in time for the inspired by all the little things challenge; this week the talented silke ledlow is featured and this is the adorable inspiration photo:

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i was delayed at a doctor’s appointment and by the time we left it was like a blizzard with our first snowfall. of course it was too dark to take a photo so i used my daylight lamp which is almost too bright; on the upside, less editing to brighten it up.

i painted everything with twinkling H2Os and winsor & newton watercolour paints and i added stickles for the snow. this was one of the first snowman images i bought; the set is still available through a different company here in canada at frog’s whiskers (scroll to page 2 since i can’t isolate the link).

thanks for popping by.

Jingle All The Way – Mixing It Up And Day 1 Tag

linda5 Comments

i’m off to a slow start, but i managed to create a tag for both Ellen Hutson’s December Mix It Up Challenge and Day 1 of the 12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist.

http://ellenhutson.typepad.com/the_classroom_new/2016/12/12-tags-of-christmas-with-a-feminine-twist-2016-meets-mix-it-up-challenge-day-1-by-laurel-beard-and-.html

since both Laurel Beard and Sandy Allnock used coloured images on their festive tags, i was inspired to do the same.

i painted everything with winsor & newton watercolour paints, using a light wash of teal in the background and it’s also used to create an ombre sentiment from the Essentials by Ellen Clear Stamps, All Inside by Julie Ebersole. i love Maude, an older Art Impressions cling stamp; i added pink stickles to her curlers and glossy accents to the smiley face.

thanks for popping by.

Black And White Plus One At Penny Black And More

linda11 Comments

it’s the first sunday of december and we’ve got an easy theme for you this month at the penny black and more challenge blog; we’d like you to use black and white plus one other colour while, as always, using a stamped image or large sentiment/quote as the focal point – the only exception is penny black stickeroos.


i created a birthday card to send to my dad who will be celebrating his 92nd birthday in early january.

the Penny Black Christmas Park wood stamp was heat embossed with black embossing powder and then i sponged the sky with blue distress inks and added some falling snow.

i hope you’ll come and play along – remember, you can use any company’s stamp for your focal point, just no digis please; a future guest designer will be selected from those who use a PB image and as always, there are some fabulous prizes to be won from: Penny Black, Marianne, Crafty Ribbons and a stamp from teamie Sam.

visit the blog to see how the rest of the design team has interpreted this challenge.

thanks for popping by.

House of Cards Holiday Blog Hop And DT Call

linda18 Comments

to celebrate the end of another six month term at the House Of Cards we’re having a blog hop that ends december 15 with some fabulous prizes.

comment along the way for a chance to win and play along for another chance by creating a project using this inspiration photo:

1216-blog-hop-banner-copy

copyright linda@snailzpace.wordpress.com HOCdec2016

my inspiration was the row of white vases on the shelf. i used twinkling H2Os to watercolour the snow fence digi image from the Snowfolk Set, courtesy of artist Beccy Muir at Beccy’s Place and i used some festive digi papers from the Simply Seasonal Digital Paper Pack, courtesy of artist Mynn at MHKDesigns.

i’ve thoroughly enjoyed being a design team member for the past two years, and i’d like to thank Mynn, house of cards challenge blog owner for the opportunity to create outside of my comfort zone. however, it’s been a rough year health wise and with upcoming surgeries i’ll be stepping down.

Please email Mynn at onastampageATgmailDOTcom if you have any other questions!

now, for the hop, you should have arrived here from Leslie’s blog so your next stop is Merethe!

thanks for popping by.

Jingle All The Way

linda3 Comments

it’s hard to believe, but it’s the last jingle belles prompt for 2016 – using this beautiful inspiration photo and the white christmas theme:

noel-christmas-mantel

when i saw the prompt my mind went blank because i struggle with white on white themed cards but i looked at the photo again today and noticed other things so i stopped panicking. :) my inspiration came from the distressed noel, the raised panels behind and the row of hanging stockings. thanks for popping by.

Happy Holidays Tags

linda13 Comments

i created four tags using an older hero arts image and sentiment from one of the first sets i bought when i started card making and i still love it.

i coloured with derwent inktense pencils, added yellow stickles to the stars, some snow and finished them off with green ribbon. thanks to my new precision press, which i love, i added a sentiment and used it to stamp the to and from on the back.

i’d like to submit this tag to these challenges:
November Rudolph Days at Scrappy Mo’s: this year’s last monthly on the 25th
Crafty Ribbons – Christmas with Ribbon
Crafty Catz – #348 – Anything Goes with twist: Christmas Tags
4 Crafty Chicks W #326 Winter Wonderland
The Pencil Case #33 Anything Goes + DT Call
A Blog Named Hero – Holiday Themed

thanks for popping by.

Anything Christmas at Penny Black And More

linda9 Comments

we’re halfway through this month’s ‘anything christmas’ theme at the penny black and more challenge blog and my DT creation is a shaker tag using a penny black stickeroo.

i was inspired by Ardyth Percy-Robb’s cute tag on day 10 of the 25 Days of Christmas Tags.

i coloured the background with distress inks, embossed with taylored expressions snowflake embossing folder, added some stampendous snow and finished it off with a blue ribbon and some silver twine. the blue glitter paper was cut with a lawn fawn tag die.

i hope you’ll come and play along – remember, you can use any company’s stamp for your focal point, just no digis please; a future guest designer will be selected from those who use a PB image and as always, there are some fabulous prizes to be won from: Penny Black, Crafts U Love and Crafty Ribbons.

i’m also submitting this to the blue theme challenge at crafty ribbons.

visit the blog for some fabulous holiday inspiration by my teamies. thanks for popping by.

Warm Wishes

linda11 Comments

i’m creating christmas cards as quickly as possible; i can hardly believe how close the mailing deadline is.

i started this card by freehand painting a plaid on watercolour paper with winsor & newton watercolour paints and then die cutting the frame with the MFT blueprints 29 die set. the bear from the my favorite things cool day stamp set and die cut mittens were painted with the same paints; i stamped a snowflake from the same set on the mittens and added some stickles. the larger sentiment is from the my favorite things hand lettered holiday set.

i’d like to submit this card to these challenges:
Virginia’s View: Watercolor/Stamp a Plaid
ABC Christmas – W for Wishes
Sweet Stampers #1 – Christmas
Stamping Sensations – Christmas Greetings
Noor! Designs UK Winter
A Blog Named Hero – Holiday Themed
Happy Little Stampers Christmas November – Watercolour

thanks for popping by.

Bunny Wishes

linda18 Comments

this is a card i made for my daughter to give to one of her veterinarians, a specialist in the care of bunnies among other exotic animals.

i painted all the images from the memory box/simon says stamptember love and laughter stamps set with twinkling H2Os and die cut them with the matching dies. the background was created with distress inks and i painted the ice with twinkling H2Os too and then added some falling snow. to finish it off, i stamped the memory box bunny wishes sentiment on a poppystamps general store tag die and added a snowflake, also from the love and laughter set.

i’d like to submit this card to these challenges:

Poppy – Plaid is Rad
ABC Christmas – W for Wishes
Sweet Stampers #1 – Christmas
Stamping Sensations – Christmas Greetings
Noor! Designs UK Winter
A Blog Named Hero – Holiday Themed
Happy Little Stampers Christmas November – Watercolour

thanks for popping by.

Product Review – Stamping Tool

linda1 Comment

as mentioned in a previous post, i’ll be reviewing products that help rather than frustrate me as a paper crafter with severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

i thought i’d start my first monthly product review with a brand new product – the we r memory keepers precision press.

up until now, if i needed one, i used an L-shaped stamp positioner and i wasn’t convinced i needed any more tools, especially ones that might be useful to others but not useable by me.

luckily, my favourite local stamp store brought in the precision press at the end of october and although i’ve only used it a couple of times, i’m happy with it.

finally, an easy to tear open package that doesn’t require cutting all around the edges!!

we-r-memory-keepers-precision-press

we-r-memory-keepers precision press

i like many features of this tool: the thumb indent, grid markings, size and weight, rounded corners and the fact that both clear and cling stamps can be used on the same surface without having to add or take away a shim. additionally, the colours are pleasing to the eye, and provide a good amount of contrast between them.

why not others?

other tools have colours that would strain my eyes, lack enough contrast and require fine motor skills to pick up, place and remove magnets or change stamping surfaces. another tool would require grip strength to hold, align and press throughout the stamping process. i want a tool to work for me, not the other way around.

completely by coincidence, we r memory keepers are having a precision press giveaway on their blog.

thanks for popping by.

Snail Mail

linda8 Comments

i had fun watercolouring this happy little hedgie delivering snail mail, although it looks like some of it might take even longer to be delivered.

lindasnailzpace-wordpress-com-penny-black-snail-mail

i created the pink background with ken oliver powder then i painted the hedgie, sky and grass with twinkling H2Os and stamped the lawn fawn sentiment.

i’m submitting this card to these challenges:
Allsorts #389 Feature a Creature
Critters and Creatures – Always Anything Goes with a Critter/Creature
Lawnscaping Challenge #141 CAS

http://lawnscaping.blogspot.ca/2016/11/challenge-141-cas-sponsored-by-ellen.htmlthanks for popping by.

Snow Bird

linda17 Comments

i’m still working on christmas cards and trying not to think about the fast approaching date to send them out. i was inspired by a new to me challenge, inspired by all the little things, to create today’s card.

this is the beautiful inspiration graphic:

http://inspiredbyallthelittlethings.blogspot.ca/2016/11/inspired-by-all-little-things-featuring.html

i watercoloured the background and this cute stampendous snow bird with twinkling H2Os, added glossy accents to the berries and some stickles for snow.

i’m also submitting this card to these challenges:
simon says monday – shine bright like a diamond
Happy Little Stampers Christmas November – Watercolour
Christmas at Sweet Stampin’ glitter and sparkle

thanks for popping by.

Penny Black And More November – Anything Christmas

linda10 Comments

it’s time for a new theme at the penny black and more challenge blog and this month we’d like you to create ‘anything christmas’ as long as the focal point is a hand stamped image or large sentiment/quote; the only exception are the penny black stickeroos.

i used the new penny black cones & berries cling stamp on kraft, coloured with faber castell albrecht durer watercolour pencils and added some snow. to finish it off, i used one of the sentiments from the my favorite things set.

i hope you’ll come and play along – remember, you can use any company’s stamp for your focal point, just no digis please; a future guest designer will be selected from those who use a PB image and as always, you’ll love the prizes to be won from: Penny Black, Crafts U Love, Crafty Ribbons.

visit the blog for some holiday inspiration by my teamies. thanks for popping by.

House of Cards November

linda5 Comments

i know i say this all the time, but it’s hard to believe that it’s the first of a new month and that means we have a new theme for you to play along with at the house of cards challenge blog; it’s a beautiful inspirational photo:

Lots of Layers and/or Colors

1116LayersColors

linda @ snailzpace.wordpress.com house of cards nov 2016-1

i chose the colours and layered up as best i could but i still wanted a fairly flat card. i’m pleasantly surprised with how much i like this colour palette because i usually choose cool colours.

i hope you’ll come and play along with this very easy theme! different groups of design team members will have their creative cards showcased on the challenge blog every five days, so check back for a variety of styles and inspiration.

thanks for popping by.

Krafty Christmas Bird

linda14 Comments

can you tell i’ve been enjoying colouring on kraft? takes me back to my childhood when i would colour for hours with coloured pencils.

today i coloured this cute image from inky antics, ornament birdy, with inktense pencils. i added stickles to the stripes and pom poms on the hat, glossy accents to the ornament and beak and black enamel dots to the eyes. another clean and simple card to add to my stash and a style that suits me when i’m short on time and energy.

i’d like to submit this card to these challenges:
4 Crafty Chicks W #322 Colouring on Kraft
Jingle Belles – Holiday Cards with Animals
ABC Christmas Challenge – V is for Vertical
Simon Says Stamp – – Anything Goes
Allsorts -Let’s make a start on Christmas

thanks for popping by.

Designing For Rudolph Days October

linda12 Comments

are you ready for this month’s rudolph days challenge? i had a lot of fun creating this christmas card to add to my stash and i hope you’ll be inspired to work ahead on your cards.

i used valentine papers to create a pocket card featuring this sweet angel image and added a poinsettia that were all watercoloured with twinkling H2Os. i added stickles to her wings, ruffle and around the edge of the frame and a pretty pearl to the poinsettia centre.

the challenge runs until the last day of the month; be sure to visit scrappymo’s blog to view the rest of the team’s inspiring cards and the challenge rules to join.

thanks for popping by.

Mixing Up CAS

linda5 Comments

i was curious about the CAS Mix Up Challenge because, to me, mixed media is a collage with layers of, obviously, different media; then i realized i’ve made cards like this before.

i’m playing along with this month’s theme of stamping + ghosting + your choice from a list of mixed media techniques and products.

http://casmixup.blogspot.ca

linda @ snailzpace.wordpress.com cas mix media1

my choices were gesso, stencilling and nuance powders.

i started by creating all the backgrounds with magenta’s nuance powders and watercolour paper and adding the butterflies with gesso and a magenta stencil. then i randomly stamped magenta silhouette leaves all over the background. i stamped the sentiment, also magenta, die cut it and layered it four times.

thanks for popping by.

Happy Halloween

linda6 Comments

i’m popping in just to remind you that you still have time to play along with us at the penny black and more challenge blog using this photo:

october-palette1

this is another of the cute images from the penny black halloween critters clear stamp set that i watercoloured with twinkling H2Os.

remember, you can use any company’s stamp for your focal point, or penny black stickeroos, just no digis please; a future guest designer will be selected from those who use a PB image and as always, there are some fabulous prizes to be won from: Penny Black, Crafty Ribbons, Stamp Addicts.

visit the blog to see some fabulous creations by my teamies and how they were inspired by the photo.

thanks for popping by.

Santa’s Elf

linda6 Comments

i really should be mass producing christmas cards but i’m avoiding it so i coloured today for fun and relaxation; this time i followed the My Favorite Things colour challenge no. 55: http://www.cardchallenges.com/2016/10/mft-color-challenge-55.html

i made a one layer christmas card with autumn colours using one of the cute MFT BB Santa’s Elves that i coloured with watercolour pencils. the sentiment is stamped in brown and the tiny buttons are brown so i was able to use all the inspiration colours. i added glossy accents to the ornament, jingle bell and berries.

i’m also submitting this card to these challenges:
One Crazy Stamper October – Fall/Winter Fun
Let’s Color Linky Party 13  Anything Goes
Virginia’s View Challenge #24 Focal Point

thanks for popping by.

Fabulous Fun

linda4 Comments

i’ve been working on creating christmas card sets for family members but trying to create just for fun in between all the mass production. for today’s card i followed the My Favorite Things Sketch 302:http://www.cardchallenges.com/2016/10/wednesday-sketch-challenge-sketch-302.html

linda @ snailzpace.wordpress.com MFT challenge 302

i painted the background and the ‘fabulous’ with sennelier watercolour paints, heat embossed with holographic embossing powder and offset the word on white; all the die cuts were layered four times. thanks for popping by.

Field Of Pumpkins

linda5 Comments

our neighbour’s field is full of bright orange pumpkins right now so i was inspired to create today’s small card and play along with two challenges.

linda @ snailzpace.wordpress.com field of pumpkins

i painted the sky, grass, fence and pumpkins with twinkling H2Os, matted the ‘painting’ and attached it to a watercolour paper base. a very CAS fall card that wasn’t exactly quick.

i’m submitting this card to the Sugar Pea Design Challenge that is using this inspiration photo:18

and this is my second submission to the new CAS Watercolour Challenge:

october-2016

thanks for popping by.

Krafty Fox

linda5 Comments

i love fall and had a lot of fun creating this fall themed card that was inspired by the leaves, the woman’s scarf and the beautiful colours in this board for lawnscaping challenge #139:

12508871_10208363799438419_2232261088713387048_n

linda @ snailzpace.wordpress.com lawnscaping challenge 139

i stamped this cute fox, tree trunk and clouds, all from the lawn fawn ‘into the woods’ stamp set on kraft and coloured them all with dry albrecht durer watercolour pencils; the leaves were punched and painted with twinkling H2Os.

i’ve been watercolouring for about seven years now and it’s nice to see a new challenge dedicated solely to watercolouring so i’m submitting my card to the CAS Watercolour October Challenge:

october-2016

thanks for popping by.

Painting With Coffee

linda1 Comment

i like to have a cup of coffee while i’m painting and yes, i’ve occasionally dipped my paintbrush into my coffee by mistake so that, along with the inspiration photo, inspired me to create this card for the altenew inspiration challenge:

october2016_altenewinspiraitonchallenge_sveta

linda @ snailzpace.wordpress.com altenew challenge

this fun little altenew stamp set was included in a door prize that i recently won at a workshop. i painted yellow, green and brown twinkling H2Os across my paper, stamped the sentiment and coffee rings and splattered a bit with the brown paint. thanks for popping by.

I Love Fall At Penny Black And More

linda9 Comments

it’s the first sunday of the month and we have a beautiful photo to inspire you to play along with us this month at the penny black and more challenge blog:

october-palette1

linda snailzpace.wordpress.com penny black halloween mouse

i watercoloured the sky and this little cutie from the penny black halloween critters clear stamp set with twinkling H2Os. the my favorite things grass border and banner, stamped with a lawn fawn sentiment, were all attached to the darice fall leaf embossed background that was coloured with distress inks.

remember, you can use any company’s stamp for your focal point, or penny black stickeroos, just no digis please; a future guest designer will be selected from those who use a PB image and as always, there are some fabulous prizes to be won from: Penny Black, Crafty Ribbons, Stamp Addicts.

visit the blog to see some fabulous creations by my teamies and how they were inspired by the photo.

thanks for popping by.

Green Gatefold

linda4 Comments

since it’s october 1 (already?!), we have a new theme for you to play along with at the house of cards challenge blog. green is my favourite colour, any shade, so i loved this month’s inspiration photo and created my card using both:

Gatefold Cards and/or Colors

1016FancyFoldColors

snailzpace.wordpress.com house of card oct 2016 open gatefold

i started with the base, a green shimmer card stock, added some authentique papers from my stash and the magenta sentiment. the memory box leaves were die cut and then cut apart to fit one piece on either side and then i die cut and attached the flower to the left side. to finish it off, i added a pink glittery gem to the centre.

i hope you’ll come and play along with this very easy theme! different groups of design team members will have their creative cards showcased on the challenge blog every five days, so check back for a variety of styles and inspiration.

thanks for popping by.

Spirit Bear-ing Gift

linda3 Comments

it took me a while to come up with an idea for this month’s Essentials by Ellen Pin-Sights Challenge – these are the inspiration photos:

http://ellenhutson.typepad.com/the_classroom_new/2016/09/essentials-by-ellen-september-pin-sights-challenge.html

linda.snailzpace.wordpress.com pinsights sept2016

since i struggle with shabby chic, i found elements that inspired me: the stone wall, the wrapped gift and the blue/white colour combos. i painted the stones freehand with twinkling H2Os, and also used them to paint the bear, grass and gift. i masked the bear to add the gift, popped him with foam tape and layered him between the die cut grass hills.

fun fact: the spirit bear is actually a black bear but is white.

thanks for popping by.

Fall Fun Bunny

linda5 Comments

i couldn’t resist using this adorable bunny image again but this time it’s a card inspired by the my favorite things colour and sketch challenges and a request for a fall bunny card.

mft_colorchallenge_paintbook_54299

MFT sketch 299

i watercoloured the sky, bunny and punched leaves with twinkling H2Os and used the larger circle in the MFT Blueprints 16 to create the frame. i cut a mound for the pile of leaves, covered it with some gourd-jus prills and sponged distress inks for the orange and green layers. i finished it off with a ‘cool day’ sentiment that was die cut with a Blueprints 29 banner and i added a pom pom for the tail.

thanks for popping by.

Bunny Burrow

linda6 Comments

i had a lot of fun creating this second card for the My Favorite Things Card Design Superstar Contest – 2016 and it was quite challenging to execute the idea i came up with.

 

if you know me, you know i was introduced to bunnies when my daughter rescued one and then another of these adorable animals so this card was created with them in mind; bunnies share a special bond that sometimes can take time to develop but then they’re inseparable and even more cute.

i die cut MFT stitched snow drifts from kraft to create the burrow scene and to add the stitching lines in between the stitched circles, die cut with MFT Blueprints 12; i haphazardly sponged brushed corduroy distress ink and used green glitter foam cut with the MFT fresh cut grass die for the border.

the bunnies were stamped with grey ink and i painted the sky, clouds and bunnies with twinkling H2Os and added white flocking to the tail.

thanks for popping by.

XO

linda2 Comments

i’m playing along with the My Favorite Things Card Design Superstar Contest – 2016 because i love being challenged to step outside of my comfort zone, even though i initially stare at a blank card and my mind is equally blank.

linda snailzpace.wordpress.com MFT XO

i started with the background; i used a piece of 140 lb. cold press watercolour paper that soaked up a leftover puddle from ken oliver sepia colour burst so it was very diluted and pink. i splattered with pink twinkling H2Os and die cut the stitched rectangle from MFT Blueprints 29.

the X and O, die cut with the small circle and sentiment strip from MFT Blueprints 16, were painted with twinkling H2Os and then heat embossed with clear embossing powder until they looked lacquered. the MFT Blueprints 29 banner and heart circles were die cut eight times from background scraps and double sided adhesive paper so they could each be layered twice and glittered on top.

to finish the card, i painted the MFT Blueprints 16 die cut rectangle with the same twinkling H2Os.

thanks for popping by.

Happy Everything

linda7 Comments

we’re half way through this month’s penny black and more challenge theme to add a sentiment. although our challenge rules require you to stamp a focal point, the one exception is penny black’s stickeroos.

 

copyright linda @ snailzpace.wordpress.com mid sept pbandmore

the penny black butterfly stickeroo i’ve used is from the sheet, dear friend and i stamped the sentiment from the special wishes clear set; i painted the background and splattered with twinkling H2Os.

remember, you can use any company’s stamp for your focal point, just no digis please; a future guest designer will be selected from those who use a PB image and as always, there are some fabulous prizes to be won from: Penny Black, Sizzix, Sam, Marianne Design. visit the blog for some fabulous creations by my teamies. thanks for popping by.

Cork Board Reminder

linda1 Comment

i created this little cork board reminder for someone special who needed a gentle reminder to keep going regardless of how long it takes.

magenta cork board reminder snailzpace.wordpress.com

the sentiment is a magenta stamp i purchased when i won a gift certificate to the store and, for the first time, i used the magenta nuance powders to create the background. so much fun! the pom pom ribbon was also purchased with a gift certificate i won for the ribbon girl.

i think i’ll make myself one of these for those times when i need to create more slowly because of my health issues. thanks for popping by.