SURPRISE!!!!!!!!

Hello everyone: I hope you and your families are doing well, staying indoors as much as possible and handling the confinement the best way you can, I know it's hard but it's for the best.

So, when I was thinking about what to do for the new RETRO RUBBER challenge it occurred to me to maybe shake things a bit and create something totally unexpected, especially at this time of the year but, as our challenge says, it's "Anything Goes" so here's my card to inspire you to play along.

LOL!! I bet you were not expecting a Halloween card now that we're welcoming Spring, but like I said, I just wanted to stir things up a little.

This amazing image is from a 2006 Stampin' Up! stamp set called "Best Friends", the other 4 images plus 2 sentiments are equally fabulous!!

I came across a card on Pinterest created with the Witch from this set, the lady who created that card gave all of the information for it on her blog post so,  needless to say, I went on a hunt and found the stamp set on eBay, in pristine condition so I bought it on the spot, I just love it.

To create this card I sponged some distress inks in black and purple on a piece of yellow card stock leaving the bottom with no ink to create a "sunset" sky for my little bats (background stamp) that were stamped with Versafine black ink and clear heat embossed, the line of houses is cut with the retired Stampin' Up! "Sleigh Ride" dies, my Dracula was stamped on Strathmore Bristol paper with Stazon black ink and colored with Prismacolor pencils.  The sentiment is from the set and I added some googly eyes to his "bouquet" of eyeballs.

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This is how the INSIDE of my card looks like.

I stamped more bats and a sentiment from Inkadinkado, the owl is from a punch from Martha Stewart, super old.

So, I hope you liked my Halloween surprise on this fine Spring day.

Please be sure to go to the RETRO RUBBER challenge blog to check out my teammates' fabulous cards and while there, don't forget to read our rules, the most important one is to please use stamps that at least ONE YEAR OLD, this challenge blog is dedicated to giving our old and forgotten stamps another chance to shine.

I'm playing along with 

Lost Coast Portal To Creativity

Challenge #97 "Mith and Magic"

Thank you for visiting me today, please stay healthy, safe and keep on crafting.

Hugs.

Maria.

  

World Rat Day!!!!!!!!!

Hello everyone: I hope all of you are doing well, staying indoors and being careful if you go out, please be safe.

So, most of you know I love little mice, not inside my house but, definitely love seeing them out there among the bushes, running from the bird feeders to their little burrows underneath the brush.

Rats, on the other hand..........well, let me put it this way..........the only ones I love are the Les Rats de Ville from Katzelkraft, no questions asked.

I used the VIDEO TUTORIAL from the fabulous Therese Calvird (her blog's name is Lost in Paper), once I found a big enough acrylic stamp to stamp my reverse image, it was easy peasy.

I colored my rats with Prismacolor pencils, the field of flowers are from Art Impressions, (I forgot the name), the word "sending" is from another set from Art Impressions called Doggie Kisses, sooo cute!!

The sentiment on the banner was handwritten.😁

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This is how the INSIDE of my card looks like.

Both sentiments are from a Power Poppy set called "Serene Scenes", this is a Christmas set but these sentiments are perfect for this card.

The worried looking rat at the bottom is also from the Katzelkraft set.

I want to play along with the following challenges.

Day of the Month Card Challenge

"World Rat Day"

Thank you for stopping by today.

Stay healthy, safe and keep on crafting.

XO
Maria.

Here Comes Santa Claus!!!!!!!!!

Hello everyone: Well, I know Christmas and Santa are a long way off but up here in the Midwest (Crown Point, IN. to be exact) it looks like Winter decided to stick around, sheeesh!! we had about 3" of snow again yesterday, the 2" that fell on Thursday just started to melt and we got a bit more

So here's this card, that I'm adding to my Holiday card stash.

This cute Santa and friend are from a 2011-2012 SU set called "Forest Festivities", all of the other 4 images are just as cute as this one.

The look of concern on Santa's face makes me think he's looking at the "Naughty" list that has my name on it, Yikes!!!!!!!😉 

I used Stazon black ink to stamp Santa and colored him with Prismacolor pencils, the sentiment is from a Flourishes set called "Sweets of the Season" (July of 2011).

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This is how the INSIDE of my card looks like.

The border is from a SU set (SAB 2017) called "Delicate Details", the sentiment is from a 2013 Flourishes set called "Christmas Classics", the little Gingerbread cookies are from a 2014 Flourishes set called "Frosted Gingerbread".

I'm playing along with the following challenges.

CAS Christmas Card Challenges

I picked "Here Comes Santa Claus"

Interpreted by Elvis Presley.

Crimbo Crackers

Challenge #209 "Sentiments"

Sparkles Christmas Challenge

#111 "Christmas Critters"

  

Thank you for stopping by.

Stay healthy and safe and keep on crafting.

Hugs.

Maria.

Silent Night...........

Hello everyone: I'm here to share another Christmas card for my stash, I have a good one but, you can't have too many Christmas cards, right?

I often browse Pinterest for recipes and inspiration for my cards so, when I see something I like, I go for it.  

This image jumped at me when I saw it on a card on Pinterest, all the information I got was that this image was on a stamp set from the Colorado Craft Company and it's called Bethlehem's Light, I think it's one of the sweetest and tender images of Baby Jesus I've ever seen.

I stamped the background with a retired SU stamp called "Hardwood" (2014 Mini), then I cut a window and also cut a piece of night sky pattern paper that I heat embossed with silver embossing powder using the small star in the set, I glue this paper behind the window. The image was stamped with Stazon black ink and colored with SU markers and an aqua painter, then I fussy cut it and attached it with foam squares.

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This is how the INSIDE of my card looks like.  

The sentiment is from the set, the little candle from a Power Poppy set called Merry Littles.

I'm playing along with the following challenges.

Merry Little Christmas

Challenge #21 Anything Christmas Goes.

Christmas Craft Creations

Use a Stamp.

Christmas Crafts All Year Round

Christmas/Winter Holiday

Thank you for stopping by today.

Stay healthy, safe and keep on crafting.

Hugs.

Maria.

A Little Reminder............

Hello everyone: Once again, I'm here with my reminder post for THE FLOWER CHALLENGE "Spring/Autumn" challenge.  Depending on where you live in our World, you might be experiencing either one of these seasons of the year so, we want to see you come and play along.

We are being sponsored this month by the fun and fabulous Boogaboo Digital Stamps and they kindly have offered a $12.00 gift card to our lucky winner, I urge you to go and check them out, they have lots of fun and beautiful images to choose from, like the one I used to create my card.

I printed this lovely flower spray on regular card stock and colored it with my Prismacolor pencils, I added gold paint to the butterfly wings and the dots on the image, I love the sentiment that came with this image, I think it's inspiring and also very reassuring, especially now that we're going through this difficult time.

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This is how the INSIDE of my card looks like.

I stamped the border with the retired SU set called "Delicate Details", the sentiment (which I think it's perfect for this card) is from a Power Poppy set called "Sassy Succulents" which sadly is retired. 

The butterfly is from Penny Black.

I hope you feel inspired to come and play along with us at THE FLOWE CHALLENGE blog, where you'll find even more inspiration from my awesome teammates.

Stay safe and healthy, be patient and obedient to the new rules, they are there for our safety and well being.

I'm sending lots of love and virtual hugs.

Maria.

No Winter Lasts Forever............

No Spring Skips Its Turn.........

Hello dear friends: I Hope all of you are doing well, especially managing the mandatory confinement, that's really hard for me but, I count my blessings because my family and friends are ok and that's what's important.

The SHOPPING OUR STASH challenge for the next 10 days encourages you to focus your imagination on Spring/Passover/Easter so we hope you get inspired to come and play along with us.

This image is from an Inkadinkado stamp I bought about 5 years ago and I can't believe I've used it maybe twice?? I love it, besides the flowers blooming and trees showing off their new greenery, Robin's nests are a sure sign that Spring has arrived, love the soft blue color of the eggs, simply lovely.

I just stamped the image on Strathmore Bristol paper and colored it with Prismacolor pencils, I added some enamel dots from Gina Marie Designs and some gold paint to the Butterfly wings.

The pattern paper is from a retired line from Lili of the Valley, the corner details are from Cherry Lynn.

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This is how the INSIDE of my card looks like.

Love, love this sentiment from Elizabeth Craft Designs and it's called "Winter-Spring".

I hope you come along and play with us over at SHOPPING OUR STASH, stop by the blog to check out my teammates' awesome creations.

I'm playing along with the following challenges.

Artsystamper digital challenges.

Crafting Happiness challenge

Dream Valley Challenges

#223 "Things with Wings"

Thank you for visiting me today, stay healthy and safe and keep on crafting.

Hugs (from a distance).

Maria.

Twofer Umbrella/Rain Challenge..........

Hello everyone: I hope all of you are doing well, handling the necessary confinement the best way possible.  We've been keeping busy Spring Cleaning and doing some yard work and I'm making cards, I'm so happy to have this hobby, it's a great way to forget for a while this situation we're all dealing with.

So, the Twofer Challenge ladies have one for us to play with and here are the cards I made to participate.

Some of my favorite critter stamps are from House Mouse so I made my Twofers with these cute and delightful images.

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This is my first card.

House mouse has other sweet little critters from a line called "Happy Hoppers" and this one called "Umbrella Nap" is one of them. How I wish I could be doing just exactly what this sweetie pie is doing.  I stamped the image with Antique Linnen distress ink and colored it with Prismacolor pencils, the umbrella is a die from Memory Box called "Pettite Umbrella".

The sentiment is from a Power Poppy set called "Best Day Ever", I'm sorry I don't recall where the beach accessories are from, the pattern papers are from my stash.

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This is how the INSIDE of my card looks like.    

The sentiment is from the same Power Poppy set.

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This is my Twofer.

The little mouse image is called "Butterflight", and in this stamp, the baby mouse is holding on to the legs of a big butterfly, so to create this card, I inked only the mouse. I wanted the little hand to appear as if it's hanging from the umbrella so I cut around the hand with an Exacto knife and lifting it a bit, placed the umbrella's handle underneath.  The little butterflies are from a Penny Black set called "Critter Party, the baby rattle is from an old Flourishes set called "Baby Love" and the sentiment is from an old Stampin' Up! set called "Curly Cute" (2010-2011)

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This is how the INSIDE of my card looks like.

I think the sentiment is from Stampendous (not sure), the teddy bear from the same Flourishes set as the rattle.

I'm playing along with the following challenges.

Twofer Card Challenge

I used the same umbrella die for these cards.

Catch the Bug Spring Challenge

Color My Heart Color Dare

 

Thank you for visiting me today, stay healthy, safe and keep on crafting.

Sending lots of virtual hugs and love.

Maria.