Santa Sleigh with Deer & Trees for Rudolph Day

Good afternoon. Tried very hard this month to get something ready in time for September's Rudy Day, since I missed last month. What is Rudy Day, you ask? Well, it's a challenge more properly called Rudolph Day, that is open from the 25th to the end of each month, and hosted by our sweet Scrappymoi, (Maureen). I happen to like the name "Rudy Day", and it's faster to type!

Did ya'll notice the Seasonal change-over to Fall on the Blog look? Isn't that a fabulous Fall banner with that gorgeous Cardinal? Thanks Loll!  Loll and Bonnie are starting a new challenge ( CAS Watercolour Card Challenge.) You might want to check this link out.

Even though today's card was started earlier this month (with bits & pieces) - still was finishing it up last night. Just too many things going on lately. DH had his 2 navy friends visiting, and then we were gone for a few days. Went to Charleston, SC, so we could tour the USS Yorktown. I'm very happy that these 3 Vets got to be together one more time. Next day, we toured the city of Charleston, very nice to see the old houses. (Hot & humid though, so we were all tuckered at the end of the day. Even though part of the tour was on an a/conditioned bus, we still did a lot of walking). Next day, 5 hour drive to Atlanta to see the Georgia Aquarium (2 hours south of where WE live, and we'd never been!) Worthwhile visit, saw an amazing dolphin show. Back home, and then some local running around. One fella left yesterday to fly home, the other drives back to Massachusetts tomorrow. (Usually he's here at least annually).

OK - on to the card:

- Leaping deer & trees were cut from a piece of corrugated paper (torn from a packing box - so big time snippet!). This paper had caught a lot of overspray and has been on the airbrush/spray table, for a long time! I didn't add any more colors to the crinkles - just found dies and cut the shapes. The glitter trees in the background - also from a snippet piece, think this was a Memory Box border die. Don't remember what companies for the trees and the deer.

- base was started for This card - with sponging on the background, and I got it way too dark for the first card. Thought it could work ok for this one. Added a bit of 'snow' to the horizon line where the glitter trees are placed. Then added the smaller corrugated tree shapes, the leaping deer, then the largest tree. There is shadowing with the tall tree and the deer, but not showing in the photo.

- Decided to add a circle punch glitter moon (snippet), behind an Impression Obsession die of Santa & 8 reindeer. (cut off some of the front deer to fit this card). This black piece was another salvaged snippet.  During the recent closet cleaning efforts, found 3 pretty velvet type boxes, which had held Christmas ornaments. Have no idea why I kept these, but planned to pitch the boxes. The inside had partitions, black velvet textured material (like you find in a box that has held jewelry). Hmmm...could I take this out and use it? So I did. The die was cut to use the velvet side showing on this card. When it went through the Big Shot (and I used the nifty special metal shim so it cut pretty well), the die left 'impressions' on the velvet stuff, so I used the backside of the material...which is a bit glossy.

- Sentiment is from VOS sheet of sticker sentiments, and sponged a bit of DI Broken China on the edges. Pretty easy card to do, should not have taken as long as it did! Lotsa interruptions!!!

I'm skating in at the last minute to enter this card at Rudy Day, so I hope Maureen will still let me sneak in! Please take a look at all the fab cards that have been entered, and you still have til tomorrow night to get something linked up!

Hopefully next week all things will be back to normal. My cleaning efforts are still going on, been working in the stamp area a little bit. Slowly, slowly. Thanks for joining me this afternoon...and big hugs!

Sunflowers

Good evening, and welcome. Navy buddies have both arrived safely (although the luggage didn't arrive on the same plane with the fella who flew). We finally collected his carryon - which ended up in the cargo area, as there was no room in the overhead bins - tonight about 11pm. Exciting day and we had a nice dinner at the local Olive Garden (where I always get the Zuppa de Tosca and salad). Everyone but Moi has gone beddy-by.

Recently did a couple cards that needed to be mailed this week. Thought I'd snapped some pics, but when I unloaded the camera card, hmmm....only one was there. Guess I was dreamin'.

This is another image colored some time ago, and no clue as to stamp company. All I did to charge up the previously done coloring, was to add some gold WoS at the base of the sunflower petals, and some clear WoS on other parts. The leaves could probably have used a bit more dark shading now that I see the photo.

- Die cut with a xstitch rectangle die, (maybe Mbox die - largest in that set). Used a stitched die - a bit larger - to cut some paper that looks handmade (but wasn't) for a mat.

- Gold lightweight c/stock was embossed with an EF that had been inked with Memento Toffee Crunch, which toned down the bright gold quite nicely. Since the c/s used for this card base was of a lighter weight, used another c/s that was a bit heavier for the insert. No sentiment was added to this one.

Last bit was to add a trio of gold sequins. Thass' It Folks!

This evening was absolutely lovely. Sat out on the porch swing, with the evening sun filtering through the neighborhood trees, a cooling breeze making it feel so pleasant to be outside, and hummingbirds keeping me company. The neighborhood was very quiet, and our visitors came out to enjoy the peace. (neither of them are porch people, but I think they enjoyed it ...for a few minutes anyway.) I told them, This is what you do in the South!

Have a great Thursday, and thanks for stopping in! Hugs & Blessings.

Christmas Card Club - Hats & Mittens

Good afternoon, Happy Sunday. Today it's time for another Christmas Club card, and our challenge theme of Woolie Hats & Gloves was chosen by our Kate. Hunted through my supplies, and while I could find a die for mittens, not a stamp or die with winter type hats! Remembered a delightful gift received recently...LOTV precolored images sent by a very sweet Sylvie. Sylvie is another CCC member who makes the most gorgeous cards with LOTV products. So off I go to work on this challenge. Sylvie, thanks so much for sending the wonderful LOTV package, which saved the day for me on  _this_ challenge. Hope you will approve of how I used your kind gift.

 

 

- LOTV image, enhanced with some WoS silver on the skates, Spectrum Noir sparkle blue on the mittens, hair ribbons, glossy accents on the ice puddles, and some rhinestones on the falling snow.

 

- die cut the image with a pierced rectangle die, used the next size rectangle for the snippet blue mat and just cut the silver mat to be a skinny one behind the other two pieces. The silver was backing from an old Christmas card that I've saved just the front of it. (part of my cleaning effort to get rid of a lot of house clutter! Saw that the back was shiny and enough space to use for 'something'. So...another snippet).

 

- Could not find an appropriate blue for the card front, so took a precut white c/s, sponged DI blues over it, until it looked like a suitable snowy background for the skaters, then embossed it with the C/Bug Dots folder.

 

- MBox mittens die from a snippet of red, to add some more mittens for embellishment. This looked too plain and flat, so used an EF that was in the pile, then a piece of strip Washi tape, cut to fit the cuffs to add a little zing.(used red to bring out the scarf colors- looking at the finished card, thinking perhaps should have used blue). The corner bow is part of this die, but the 'string' on one mitten tore removing from the die. Decided to remove the strings, just use the bow, added a rhinestone, Voila.

 

- Sentiment is from a very old page of stickers. That's it!!! Thanks to Kate for a fun challenge, and many thanks to Sylvie for her generosity, which meant I was able to meet the challenge this week!!! Hugs to both of you.

 

Please be sure to check what the other club members have shared - you'll find the links to their blogs on the side bar.

 

Also check the Cards by Friends page, where some new cards have been added. As always, thanks for stopping in. And have a wonderful afternoon. Blessings & Hugs.

Just Buzzin' In Get Well

Good afternoon, and welcome. No, I've not fallen off the face of the earth. Just still in the chillin' mode, and doing some small tidy up house chores. I've been released by the surgeon, so can drive again, and do the normal routine once again. Thanks to all who sent emails & cards and lots of good thoughts! Much appreciated.

Haven't really been in the creative mood, but the fella who takes care of our computers had surgery yesterday. Been going through boxes of UFO's, and found this card (VOS)...no idea how long ago this was made. Thought it might bring a grin to his face when he sees it. He was here Friday to replace one of desktop monitors. It was less expensive to buy a larger thin tv screen than to buy a monitor, can you believe it? It's wall mounted, so I have to get used to looking straight ahead, rather than down at a desk monitor. (should be good for my neck, anyway, and much nicer when watching videos too).

Here's the card:

- added the M/Box bee hive, bees. The hive was cut from a piece of rather glossy cardboard packaging, and shaded with the copic warm grays. Bees cut from white snippet, colored with copics, added WoS.

-MFT fishtail cut the computer generated sentiment, which was an outline font, colored in with WoS.
Some glitter glue had been added to the bees on the paper background. Looks ok IRL, not so great in the photo.

Easy peasy to finish up a UFO. For this guy, thought simple was best.

We've had a couple of days that were pleasant to enjoy the porch swing; mid-day - it's still quite warm. We're having DH's navy buddies next week, so hope it will be pleasant for the guys to enjoy doing some guy things. That's another reason the tidy-up mode is upon me!!! (Don't worry, it doesn't last long!!!).

Thanks for coming by, and I'll do my best to get back into card making and blogging - it's been lovely to have a little break though! Big Hugs & there's room in the swing!!