Avery Elle / Otterly Fantastic

Hello!  I am here with a card that starts off my Valentine's using the adorable new set called Otterly Fantastic from Avery Elle.

Since alcohol inks have "come back in style", I used them here to create a water backdrop for my otter.  I started my card off with a panel of Yupo paper from Ranger.  These inks work best with this type of paper.  To an applicator, I added a felt pad (different than what we use for ink blending) and added a few, random drops of Mermaid, Citrus, and Silver Mixative.  They really only need to be drops as the next step is to add a few drops of Alcohol Blending Solution to the felt pad.  To create my background, I used the applicator and simply placed it on the paper, twisted, and lifted off.  I repeated this for the entire panel.  After letting the panel dry, I used the Wonky Stitches Die to die cut the panel.  

My otter was Copic colored with E42, E43, E44 and die cut with the coordinating Otterly Fantastic Elle-ments.  What I love is that there is a die that cuts the paws so that the otter can "hold" something!  In this case since this is for Valentine's, I used the heart stamp from the set.  Using Scalloped & Pierced Hearts Elle-ments, I die cut a red heart and white heat embossed the sentiment.  After adding the heart to the right side, I added the otter and a few extra hearts.  This panel was added to my alcohol ink background created earlier. 

Don't be afraid of trying new things with the alchol inks.  I have even "messed up" and simply laid more color down over it.  Have fun creating some amazing backgrounds!

Supplies:
Otterly Fantastic
Otterfly Fantastic Elle-ments
Wonky Stitches Die
Scalloped & Pierced Hearts Elle-ments

Advent Calendar Extravaganza with Taheerah Atchia

Hello and Welcome!  I am excited to get things started off with the first day of the Advent Calendar Extravaganza!  This is such a fun online event each year hosted by my friend Taheerah and this year is better than ever!  Make sure to visit Taheerah's blog (linked below) for all the event details and for additional links!

Advent Calendar Extravaganza is -the- festive event of the season! This ‘hop with a twist’ was dreamed up by Taheerah Atchia and features surprise destinations each day! Joining in the fun with Taheerah are ONE HUNDRED special guests - each serving up some fantastic Christmas inspiration! Just like an Advent Calendar, you’ll never know where you’re going to be visiting next until you ‘open the door’!

And that’s not all! With 25 *amazing* sponsors taking part as guests as well, your crafty wish list is bound to get a boost with a chance to win a prize EVERY SINGLE DAY!!

Join in the fun every day at taheerah-atchia.com to see what special surprises await behind the door!

*************************************************



Today's Advent sponsor is Catherine Pooler Designs.  
I have been lucky to help Catherine with several of her last releases including her ink lines.  IF YOU HAVEN'T checked out her ink yet, YOU MUST!  It's phenomenal!  Click HERE to visit the inks.

I've used the 'Tis the Season stamp set, which will be released soon as it was part of the holiday Stamp of Approval box.  I stamped the poinsettia in Rockin' Red ink and the leaves in Eucalyptus (brand new color!).  The centers and leaves with berries were gold heat embossed.  These were all die cut with the matching dies.  To create my background, I used the tiny snow stamp and larger berry stamp to white heat emboss a white panel.  After embossing, It's a Boy ink from Catherine Pooler was blended over the panel using the emboss resist technique.  To finish, I layered my poinsettias across my panel and added a white heat embossed sentiment on black cardstock with foam adhesive.  

***PRIZES***

It’s not a party without a prize - and with prizes every day there are several chances to win! Today’s prize is generously supplied by Catherine Pooler Designs so you’ll definitely want to win! Simply leave a comment on this post - then head back to taheerah-atchia.com and leave a comment there too! You must leave a comment on Taheerah’s blog as well as mine in order to be eligible to win! Don’t forget to grab the other surprise destinations from Taheerah’s blog and head over to them to leave comments there as well to improve your odds even more! You have until 23:59 EST on 31st December 2017 to enter.

Don’t forget Advent Calendar Extravaganza runs from 1st-25th December inclusive so make sure you visit taheerah-atchia.com every day for fabulous inspiration and amazing prizes every single time! Merry Christmas!

*********************************************

Because I love Catherine's ink SO much, I thought I'd share the whole color chart that is available!  The colors are so vibrant and stamp beautiful!  Let me say this......I didn't think I needed another ink in my collection until I used these!  

Click HERE to visit the inks.  Trust me you will want them all!  ☺

SugarPea Designs / Mix It Up Challenge #37

 

Welcome!  I am here sharing a card using the November Mix it Up Challenge from SugarPea Designs over at the SugarPea Designs blog.  Make sure to check out the blog for all the details!

For this month's challenge, I used both sides of the Mix It Up Challenge.  (see graphic below) 

I loved the sketch in this challenge but it proved to be too much white space.  Usually this isn't a problem for me but to solve it for today's card, I used a woodgrain embossing folder.  It gave just the right about of texture and interest to the background for my adorable images from Mugs & Kisses.  The images were Copic colored and die cut using the Mugs & Kisses SugarCuts Dies.  The pattern paper (polka dots) is from the Happy Holidays Paper Collection.  

Pretty Pink Posh / 25 Days of Christmas Tags

Welcome to the 25 Days of Christmas Tags! 

With the holidays fast approaching, it's time for Tracey McNeely's

annual 25 Days of Christmas Tags.  Make sure to check out her blog for all the details on the sponsors, ways to win, and how to link up your own tags!  

Tracey's blog:  In My Creative Opinion

I am helping celebrate today's sponsor, Pretty Pink Posh, by sharing my own tags!

Pretty Pink Posh has lots of fun winter/Christmas themed goodies to use for tags.  Since I tend to wrap at the last minute, I wanted some very CAS tags.  I love the Joy Shaker Die cut out of some thick red glitter cardstock.  I backed it with a white circle that had some light Broken China Distress Oxide inks blended.  My second tag uses the Scallop Square Tag Dies.  I die cut and quickly colored my snowman from Happy Snowman.  It was added over a hand trimmed glittery snow hill.

Avery Elle / Pierced Scallop Rectangles and Cool Beans

Hello!  I am here with my take on the new Large Pierced Scallops Elle-ments from Avery Elle.  There are so many uses for a die set like this!  I love to use my dies for shaped cards and the largest scallop rectangle is perfect!

I started my card by using the largest scallop rectangle die to cut my card base.  To do this, you place your folded cardstock just below the cutting edge of your die.  What you are left with is a shaped card base!  

For my main panel, I used the layering rectangle in the Large Pierced Scallops Elle-ments.  

I love this coffee themed set, Cool Beans, that has 6 fun sentiments in a cool font.  This set is perfect for all those coffee lovers out there!  I repeatedly stamped the 'thanks a latte' in New Moon Dye Ink and stamped one of the small heart stamps in between the repeated sentiments.  I colored in the heart with Copic R29.  My to go coffee cup was colored in with Copic 110.  For the cozy, I made my own buffalo check pattern with red cardstock and the Copic 110.

Supplies:

Cool Beans

Cool Beans Elle-ments

Large Pierced Scallops Elle-ments

New Moon Dye Ink


Thanks for sharing a part of your day with me!

Lil' Inker Designs / November Mini Release / Black Friday Sale

Welcome to the Lil' Inker Designs November Mini Release!  Lil' Inker Designs will be releasing TWO new stamp sets starting on Black Friday (November 24, EST).  There is so much good stuff happening that you will not want to miss the Lil' Inker Designs blog for a sneak to the Newsletter!  Just sayin'!

My first project uses the adorable new set, Magic Winter.  I've created a background using Mermaid, Citrus, and Silver Additive Alcohol inks for my blended background.  I love how it came out!  Let me tell you how forgiving it is!  The first time I stamped my sentiment (using StazOn ink), it smudged because the YUPO paper is slick.  So I used StazOn cleaner and a paper towel!  The messed up sentiment was gone!   Then I just added a bit more color to my background using the same sponge I used to apply the color in the first place!

For my unicorn, I silver heat embossed and colored in with coordinating Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers.  Using the Magic Winter dies, I cut out my unicorn and popped it up on my cardfront using foam adhesive.  I added a strip of glitter cardstock and matted my panel onto a teal layer.  

*************************************

My second card uses the Unstoppable stamp set.  This set is so versatile and virtually impossible to re-create a background using this set.  I used Catherine Pooler Inks in Daydream, Mandarin Spice, and Eucalyptus along with the images.  

I created a background of fun shapes and colors.  (The oval stamp is actually the BACKSIDE of one of the stamps from Latte Love Stamps)  

My sentiment was stamped onto a Stitched Mats: Dual Stitched Rectangles and added to a larger die cut rectangle (from the same set) from vellum.  A little bit of a messy silver thread was added behind the sentiment.

Here's the full blog hop list to get you started!!  Remember there is a winner of the whole release for commenting along the way!

LID Blog

Amy Kolling ♥♥♥

Chrissy Larson

Heather Hoffman

Jennifer Carter

Jessica Frost Ballas

Karen Baker

Kimberly Rendino--new DT member!

Lisa Henke

Lil' Inker Designs Store-----go SHOP!

Now.....don't forget to look at this SALE!!!  Time for some Black Friday shopping starting November 24-26th!

Avery Elle / 25 Days of Christmas Tags

Welcome to the 25 Days of Christmas Tags! 

With the holidays fast approaching, it's time for Tracey McNeely's

annual 25 Days of Christmas Tags.  Make sure to check out her blog for all the details on the sponsors, ways to win, and how to link up your own tags!  

Tracey's blog:  In My Creative Opinion

I am helping celebrate today's sponsor, Avery Elle, by sharing my own tag!

My tag uses the Holiday Bouquet stamp set.  I've watercolored the large image from the set using Kuretake Gansaii Tambi watercolors.  My image was layered onto a Shaker Tag.