DO NOT Conform!

Greetings!  Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today.  I do not often enter challenges any more, as my design team assignments keep me quite busy, but I am challenging myself in 2014 to try to do so a bit more often as I really enjoy doing so.  I decided to join the fun over at Simon Says with their current challenge of creating a project around the Wild West called "This is Where the Cowboy Rides."  For my card, I stenciled the card base with various shades of Distress Ink, using a number of Tim Holtz Stencils.  Next I stamped stars and a sentiment onto the card base.  The focal images were stamped onto scrap card stock and water colored with Distress Markers and mounted to the card front.  All images are from Artistic Outpost.  I am also entering my card in the January Artistic Outpost Referral Program, which ends today!  Thanks so much for dropping by.  Hugs, Yvonne

XXOXX, Remember, I Love You

Greetings!  It is bitter cold where I live, and where many of you live as well.  A quick card to share tonight that I made just because Valentines Day is coming soon.  I began by stamping various images by Finnabair by Prima with London Fog Memento Ink.  Next I layered pink and white paper doily hearts over the card base. The image and happy cat are by Gecko Galz and were glittered up with Ranger Stickles.  A few die cut butterflies and a button, a complimentary gift from the Funkie Junkie Boutique with an order, and some ChitChat Stickers, Pearl Gems, Glitter Hearts and a seam binding bow complete my card.  I hope wherever you are, you stay warm. Thanks so much for stopping by my blog.  Hugs, Yvonne

Love Is In the Air

Greetings! It is time, once again, for a new challenge over at Fashionable Stamping Challenge.  This time, our challenge is called "Tag Along with Us," and we are asked to make a tag. I began with a Jumbo Manila Tag from the Funkie Junkie Boutique. I layered ivory corrugated paper over top,trimmed to fit and tore bits of the corrugated paper off to distress a bit.  The edges were distressed with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.  The focal image by Lost Coast Designs was inked for the first time, and is one I have admired for quite some time.  It was matted with some burlap fabric with frayed edges.  The background of the tag was inked with images from Artistic Outpost's Generation Redux.

Embellishments include several tickets and paper string from Tim Holtz, a bottle cap with an image by Crafty Individuals.  The twill tape at the top of the tag and the heart gems are from my stash. I hope you will pop on over to FSC to see the gorgeous tags my Design Team Sisters have created, and then create and share one or more of your own with us!  As always, one lucky participant will win a gift voucher for $20 from our generous sponsor, FlonzCraft. Thanks so much for stopping by.  Hugs, Yvonne

Today I Will Stand Quietly...

Greetings! The weeks fly by so quickly and already it is time for another challenge over at Inkspirational!  This time, we are creating a project based on the photo below.  The picture is The Firebird by Edmund Dulac who was famous for illustrating fairy tales. 

What a fascinating photo!  I knew I wanted to use this beautiful, new to me stamp of trees by Hero Arts and stamped it with Midnight Blue StazOn Ink.  The fairy and sentiment are by Red Lead and were inked for the first time, as well.  A bit of Wendy Vechhi's Embossing Paste and a Tim Holtz stencil add sparkle to my card, along with some Dresden trim by Retro Art Cafe.  I hope you will pop over to Inkspirational to see what the rest of the Design Team have come up with and then create a project of your own to share with us.  Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Anything Your Heart Desires

Greetings!  Thank you for stopping by today.  I wanted to share with you a piece I made for Red Lead Paperworks recently using many of their gorgeous offerings.  I began with this "Wood Heart with Loop" and painted it with Distress Crackle Paint in Worn Lipstick. Collage images came next.  I stamped a sentiment, and cut it into individual words and adhered it to the front of the piece. Snippets of trim and ribbon from my stash, some pearl gems and a brass charm and clock face from Red Lead complete my project. Red Lead has a fabulous selection of items for all your Valentine needs.  Have a wonderful week.  Hugs, Yvonne

Be Mine, Valentine...

Greetings! It is Saturday and time for a new challenge over at Fashionable Stamping Challenge.  This time, our challenge is to create a project using both "Hearts and Flowers."  Since Valentine's Day will be here before we know it, I thought I would create a Valentine along these lines.  I began with this adorable image by FlonzCraft, which happens to be our sponsor over at FSC.  One lucky participant of our challenge will win a gift voucher worth $20 to purchase his or her own FlonzCraft images.  After watercoloring the image with Distress Markers, and adding a bit of Ranger Stickles, I mounted it to a felt die cut heart which was added to a paper doily.  Both were added to a card base which was stamped with Festive Berries Distress Ink and several complimentary images I received recently from Crafty Individuals when placing an order. The sentiment is by Red Lead Paperworks. The card was also wrapped with repurposed ribbon and foam glitter hearts, a red and white bow and paper flowers complete my card.

In the Midst of Winter...

Greetings and thank you for stopping by today!  I truly appreciate every visit and every encouraging comment.  Today, I have another card to share with you using images from the Winters Garden Collection by Gecko Galz.  I combined these gorgeous images with stamped images from Midwinter by Artistic Outpost.  The die cut snowflakes are by Retro Art Cafe.  To add a bit of sparkle, I added Glossy Accents and Rock Candy Distress Glitter.  With a heavy influence of Kraft paper and Timber Brown StazOn Ink, I found I liked the contrast of the stark white paper doily.  Thanks so much for stopping by today! Best wishes, Yvonne

Winter's Garden

Greetings!  It is an Arctic Tundra where I live.  How about where you are?  I love this collection of images called Winters Garden: Perfect for our current weather conditions, and probably why I was drawn to these image when creating pieces for Gecko Galz recently. Just a bit of stamping this time, using snowflakes from Oxford Impressions.  I, instead, worked mostly with digital images that I printed, trimmed, and arranged on my card front.  The young woman climbing down a ladder tells a story for me.  She wants to get away from her mundane life and take a walk in the fresh air in the woods nearby, soaking up the beauty of nature.  A snippet of lace, pearl gems, and Stickles complete my card.  I am also entering my card over at Simon Says Monday Challenge where the current challenge is to make a project using "Blues."  Thanks so much for stopping by.   

Valentine ATCs

Greetings!  I was recently honored to be asked to be the Guest Artist over at Red Lead Paperworks.  I had the pleasure of working with some of their new products for Valentine's Day.  The ATC above features their new heart stencil as well as some of their clip art from their Valentine Collage Sheet and this adorable heart charm.  

Another ATC with more clip art by Red Lead and this "Little Label" that is perfect for Valentine's Day and beyond.  

And finally, an ATC using this perfectly sized wooden frame painted with Distress Crackle Paint, more clip art and a rusty folk heart.

I hope you will take a moment to check out the wonderful stamps, clip art, embellishments and more, available over at Red Lead as you begin making your own Valentines.  I'll be back with more makes for Red Lead in the days ahead.  Thanks so much for stopping by.  Hugs, Yvonne

Won't You Be My Valentine?

January marks the beginning of my journey as a Design Team Member at Gecko Galz and today I would like to share with you my first two makes as a Design Team Member.

Throughout the year, Gecko Galz will be cross promoting with other companies and the Design Team will be creating projects using both Gecko Galz products and those of other companies. For the month of January, we are also working with digital images from Basic Grey's "True Love" Paper Pack.  In addition to the images I used from Basic Grey for my card and tag, I also worked with the My Fair Lady Collection, True Love Stamps, and Victorian Cuties, all new releases for January at Gecko Galz. One lucky participant who submits a Valentine  project using both Gecko Galz images and Basic Grey images will win a gift certificate for $25 to use toward a shopping spree at Gecko Galz! Please see Gecko Galz Home Page for submission details and good luck to each of you! Hugs, Yvonne

A Study in Yellow and Brown

Greetings and Happy New Year dear followers and visitors!  It is a new year and the first anniversary over at Inkspirational.  We are challenged this week with a Colour Challenge:  any shade of yellow and brown.

I decided to begin with a few images from Gecko Galz.  When I found these cowgirl images, I knew I was ready to get started on my card.  I wanted to include stamping and thought the images from Cowgirl Strength by Artistic Outpost were the perfect accompaniment.  Lots of Mustard Seed, Brushed Corduroy and Vintage Photo Distress Ink were also used.  A Tim Holt star, colored with a Mustard Seed Distress Marker, a bit of paper string, also by TH and some Copper Liquid Pearls and a snippet of burlap fabric complete my card.  I hope you will check out the rest of the Inkspiration pieces from the rest of the Design Team and then create a project of your own to share with us!  Thanks for stopping by!  Hugs, Yvonne