My blog is called "Creative Smiles" because my designs are the result of incorporating mistakes. With fumble fingers that drop whatever they are holding - repeatedly, it takes a lot of giggles, smiles and creative patience during my crafting process. xx

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Lavinia World - Clean and Simple

My first EVER really Clean-and-Simple card!
So glad you are here to witness it (giggling).


And now you know it is time for a new Lavinia World Challenge!

Details of our Lavinia World ChallengeAn ANYTHING GOES theme using ANY brand clear or rubber stamp - no digitals. Winner receives
a $15 gift certificate to the Lavinia World store.

We now have a new Facebook Group where you can upload your Lavinia cards. It is called ANYTHING LAVINIA. The blog Lavinia World Challenge is an Anything Goes theme with any brand of clear or rubber stamps (no digitals). The Facebook Group Anything Lavinia is also an anything goes theme, but permits only projects made using any Lavinia Products.


Today's project:
Our beloved DT Coordinator and my dear friend,
Anne Temple
challenged me to do a CAS card, because she knows I've never been able to make one. So today's card is CAS - but it was not simple for me to make. (giggling) After 2 tries, and 3 backgrounds, I just went for whatever happened.



I spritzed water onto 4.25" x 5.5" cold pressed watercolor paper. The glass Work Surface was dabbed with two colors of Oxide inks and also spritzed with water. The paper was smooshed on top of the watered-down ink, and dried with a heat gun. (PS on the third try I dropped my ink pad twice, but decided to use the background anyway.)




Dragon Verse was stamped with Distress Peacock Feathers ink, stamped off once on scrap paper, and then stamped on top of the background.

Fairytale (fairy)  was stamped with VersaFine Clair Cheerful Yellow and heat set with white detail embossing powder. I use the VFC because the image is superior than any other ink and it gives complete coverage. 

Using a ruler and a Sakura Quickie Glue Pen I made two intersecting straight lines for visual interest, and heat set them with more white detail EP:



Shown above, her wings are colored with Zig #4 FL Green and Zig #42 Turquoise Green brush markers. The closest wing was slightly cut out to fit atop the white aperture. Also shown above, the Once Upon a Dream image was stamped with VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink and heat set with black with black detail EP that contains silver mica powder. The "splatter" of the black sentiment is actually part of the sentiment - it is distressed for us already.

Card Assembly: Die cat 4.5" x 5.75" white cardstock with choice of aperture die. Attach the color panel to the back to the frame. Cut the vellum strip and place the sentiment, folding the ends behind the white aperture. Use white "fun foam" and adhere to back of finished layer. Attach to white 4.75" x 6" card base:



Here is the front with a white background (hard to photograph white on white):





Products Used:

Challenges I'd like to play in please:
  1. The Fairy and the Unicorn Challenge (Nov 2) AG Fantasy 12/7
  2. Pammie's Inky Pinkies #1946 AG 11/25
  3. Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #118 AG 12/1
  4. A Bit More Time to Craft #104 AG 12/1 (sep post)
  5. Classic DT Open Challenge #11 AG DT 12/1 (sep post)
  6. Love to Craft Challenge Blog #40 AG 12/1 (sep post)
  7. Creative Crafters #22 AG 12/15 
  8. Country View Challenges Nov "Hand Stamped" 12/14 (sep post)
Fairy Kisses,





Monday, November 18, 2019

Anything Goes at Jan's Digi Stamps #2

A Hearty Welcome to my Blogging Buddies!
Thanks for visiting today - I am sharing some Christmas cards.


It's time for another ANYTHING GOES Challenge at Jan's Digi Stamps!

Facebook - Shopping - Pinterest - Challenges
My card features the pre-colored version of Santa's List #3186. It's a fantastic image for making either colored or sepia toned Vintage cards:

Anyone who knows me realizes that I have difficulty making A2 size cards but here are two quickie creations in that size using the pre-colored images:

For the green stripes, I used the "line" option in my word processor to make wallpaper. The Floor (free clip art on-line) was lightened by using the "opacity" option. 


After die cutting the frame, I burnished white microfine glitter in the frame's details:



The red creation is simple with a glittered frame:



Lastly, I have a 5x7 card. On my word processor, I change the color to Sepia then inked the areas with Aged Mahogany Distress ink.


The frame was distressed with Brilliance Gold and the glasses were highlighted with an aqua pencil.



Now for my boo-boo:

Somehow, I crookedly adhered the oval of my Santa inside the frame. It looks like he is in a haunted house - levitating:

Now that I've pointed it out, you can clearly see that Santa is "floating" in the air in an un-level manner. To be honest, my card was nearly completed, and everything had already been glued down.

So I cut out some gold flourishes and positioned them in a way that sorta-kinda hides my huge blunder. You can still see the boo boo because you know about it. But maybe my recipient won't notice it (giggle).
Haunted Santa (laughing)



Hop on over and play with us - who knows?
You might be the winner of the $10 store gift voucher!

Products Used:
Jan's Digi Stamps Santa's List #3186
Other Digital - Floor (free clip art on-line)
Red Oval Card:
  • Dies: SB Floral Ovals (glittered)   Punches: 2 Circle Punches
  • Paper: White, Red, old DP
  • Inks: Black Soot Oxide, Tea Dye Distress, Rain Forest VersaFine Clair

Green Stripe Card:
  • Dies: Tonic English Picnic Layering set,   Punch: SU Modern Label
  • Paper: White, Green     Inks: Rain Forest VersaFine Clair
  • Microfine white glitter (in the frame)

Sepia Brown Card:
  • Dies: SB Victorian Crest, SB Classic Ovals, DieVersions "Tis the Season", Cheery Lynn Holly Lace Flourish
  • Paper: Black, White, Burgundy, Pale Taupe, Gold Vellum, Gold Glossy
  • Inks: Digitally made Sepia Tone Image from colored image, then used distress and oxide inks on image, Brilliance Gold on frame and Copics (RV32, E16) PrismaColor Pencil aqua (glasses)     
  • Embossing Folder:  Crafters Companion Stone Wall

Challenges I would like to play in please:

  1. Sparkles Christmas Challenge #106 Santa 12/1
  2. Crafty Friends #123 Christmas 12/1
  3. Pearly Sparkles #46 Christmas 12/1
  4. World Wide Open DT Challenge #11 AG DT related 12/15
  5. Kerst/Christmas FB Challenge #11 AG Christmas 11/30
  6. Make My Monday #109 Red, Green and White (my red card) 11/20



Inky Hugs,

Thursday, November 07, 2019

Lavinia World - An Underwater Adventure

Hello, Blogging Friends!
Yesterday a Cold Front moved through our area, and the daily temps dipped down into the 70s (22-24C)! FOR ONE DAY.
laughing
Maybe Autumn will visit us later in the month.

Today begins a new Lavinia World Challenge!


Details of our Lavinia World ChallengeAn ANYTHING GOES theme using ANY brand clear or rubber stamp - no digitals. Winner receives
a $15 gift certificate to the Lavinia World store.

While "our" Lavinia World store is located in the US, it ships worldwide. In the US, a $25.00 purchase means free shipping! Lavinia World carries other crafting supplies for your convenience.
My card features Sebastian the Seahorse. Isn't he magical?
After die cutting the SW frame, the panel was dry embossed while still in the die, and then distressed with Blueprint and Chipped Sapphire ink, keeping the die itself in place.
Sebastian was stamped with VersaFine Clair Blue Belle and heat embossed with a clear embossing powder that also contained glitter. The photo gives you a glimpse of the sparkle:



Sea Bubbles and Sea Creatures were stamped off on scrap paper, and then stamped into the background with Weathered Wood Distress Ink. Shaded Lilac was distressed around the edges of the frame for a soft lavender cast. Then I used a cue tip applicator with Lavender Pearlescent Brilliance ink all around the Seahorse, achieving a textured shadow:


Uni-Ball Pen Signo Gel - white was used to add detail from Sebastian's snout to his forehead, and in lines along the front of his tummy area.

He is a gloriously mystical, magical creature!

The blue panel was adhered to a lavender panel to bring out the purple tones:

Available in the Lavinia World store:


Products Used:

  • Lavinia World Sebastian the Seahorse
  • Lavinia World Uni-Ball Pen Signo Gel - white (on nose and belly)
  • Lavinia World VersaFine Clair Blue Belle
  • Lavinia World Sea Bubbles (background)
  • Lavinia World Sea Creatures (fish in background)
  • Dies: Sue Wilson Spanish Granada (outline), Sue Wilson Spanish Seville (decorative frame)
  • Inks: Brilliance Ink Lavender Pearlescent, and Distress inks - Blueprint, Shaded Lilac, Weathered Wood, Chipped Sapphire
  • Other: Clear Detail EP that contains glitter, white, blue, lilac papers.

Challenges I'd like to play in please:

  1. Scrapyland #125 AG with SL dies (2 sets SW Spanish Collection) 11/21 (sep post)
  2. Crafty Animals #32 AG with an Animal (I used a seahorse and fish) 12/1 (sep post)
  3. World Wide Open DT Challenge #10 (technique- wet & dry embossing, distressing, glittering, stamping foreground and background) 11/15 (sep post)
  4. Artsy Stamper Digitals #3 Monochromatic 11/18 (sep post)
  5. The House that Stamps Built #N619 "Frame It" 12/4 (bottom of post)
  6. Addicted to Stamps #366 Anything Goes 11/12
  7. Country View Challenges Nov "Hand Stamped" 12/14


Stamping Hugs,


Monday, November 04, 2019

Anything Goes at Jan's Digi Stamps #1

Woo Hoo! It's a wonderful day to present a
BRAND NEW CHALLENGE BLOG!
Many of you already know of Jan's fabulous talent. Before they closed last Spring, Sparkle N Sprinkle's Exclusive Florida artist was Jan Mahew. Jan taught many classes when she lived in the Tampa Bay Area, and was passionate about helping crafters learn how to color images and make dazzling cards! Now she has her own shop and is hopeful you will enjoy her many new designs.





Always Anything Goes!
Always a Prize to Jan's Digi Stamps!
Facebook - Shopping - Pinterest - Challenges
My project features two digital stamp sets:




I have layered 5 of Jan's pre-colored images in my word processor. 
This is what it looks like before being printed, inked and die cut:


After die cutting the image, the panel was dry embossed while still in the die, and then distressed with ink, while the die itself remained in place. Two yellow Copic Markers were used to make visible an early sunrise behind the trees. A lavender Copic Marker was used to create shading under the sleigh and horse, and to enhance some of the snowdrifts:
Lots of glitter adorns the frame, snow-laden trees, and snow drifts, with a few red berries in the greenery. The pretty silhouette and snow-covered trees are so versatile! The focal panel is popped up with dimensionals.


Looking forward to seeing your Anything Goes Project in our new Challenge!

Products Used:
  • Jan's Digi Stamps Tree Scene #723
  • Jan's Digi Stamps Sleigh Ride #744
  • Dies: IO Pine Sprig Set, Tim Holtz Sizzix Greenery Mini, Tonic Ribbon and Bow Layering set
  • Other: Clear Glitter, Red Stickles, Copic Markers, Distress Inks
Challenges I am supporting with this creation:
  1. The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #59 AG Christmas 11/9 (sep post)
  2. Crafty Catz Challenge #481 AG-Snow 11/8 
  3. World Wide Open DT Challenge #10 (sep post) 11/15
  4. Merry Little Christmas Challenge #16 AG Christmas 12/1 (sep post 12/5)
  5. Pearly Sparkles Challenge #46 Christmas 12/1
  6. Dream Valley Challenges #213 All That Glitters (frame is glittered, all snow is glittered, red berries are glittered) C10 11/18 (Sep post)
  7. Crafty Hazelnut's Chrismtas Challenge #462 AG Christmas + H is for Horse 11/9
Wishing you a great week!

Friday, November 01, 2019

That Vintage Look at The Paper Shelter - 2 Crafty Critter Crazies

Is it REALLY November 1st already?
So glad I can share it with you - and thanks for dropping by today.

It's time for a new Challenge at Two Crafty Critter Crazies 
where we love to celebrate any project with a critter on it! Critters include mythical creatures, animal toys and everything alive (except humans and flora)!


Our very generous sponsor this month is:
TPS The Paper Shelter
Her wonderful characters exhibit such a kindness and sweetness to them.
My card features the darling "Holy Night" digital set, including background.







I felt like doing something in a Vintage Style.


After dragging the focal image onto the background in the word processor, I flipped the entire thing horizontally so they were facing the opposite direction.


The sentiment is one I made, and am gifting it to my followers below.


In addition, I duplicated the focal image and sentiment so they could be fussy cut separately, and popped up for dimension.

Above, on a separate word processing document, I dragged 2 of the backgrounds to it, and sized them to be slightly taller than the scene on the first page. To elongate the card (making it 5x7), simply "overlay" one of the backgrounds onto the other, matching up the borders so they look continuous.

The Vintage frame needed a little help with the busy background, so I die cut a larger piece, embossed it with a very pale gold EP containing mica powder, and heat set:



Next came the assembly:
  1. Adhere Decorative frame to embossed panel.
  2. Adhere die cut image to framed panel.
  3. Adhere die cut inner frame on top of image panel.
  4. The card probably would be beautiful just like the bottom photo!


The background would be lovely all by itself with a sentiment.
or
Fussy cut one of those trees, make an extended background, pop up the fussy cut tree where the border overlaps, and put a sentiment or the lovely girl on the right.

But I placed the framed focal image panel on the background:


After inking the edges of the fussy cut pieces, the sentiment and focal image were popped up:



Gold Wink of Stella was placed around the dark card base. Clear Wink of Stella was placed on the white trees in the back ground, and more Pale Gold EP edges the background panel:


Wishing you all the joys of November!

FREEBIE SENTIMENT

I have made a simple freebie digital sentiment in two formats for my followers. NOT for commercial use, please. Use it on any of your projects, including projects involving any design teams you might be on.
Click on the image to bring it to full size, then right click and do a SAVE.

Enjoy!




Products:
  • TPS The Paper Shelter "Holy Night" digital set, including background
  • Other: White Cardstock, Chocolate Brown Cardstock, Clear and Gold Wink of Stella, Tea Dye Distress Ink, Pale Gold Embossing Powder


Challenges I'd like to play in please:

  1. The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #59 AG Christmas 11/9 (sep post)
  2. Crafty Catz Challenge #481 AG-Snow 11/8 
  3. A Bit More Time To Craft #103 AG (sep post) 11-16
  4. Merry Little Christmas Challenge #16 AG Christmas 12/1 (sep post 12/5)
  5. Animal Friends Challenge #80 (Nov) Reindeer 12/1
  6. Pearly Sparkles Challenge #46 Christmas 12/1




Critter Hugs,