Fourth Annual Canadian Cricut Circle Swarm Challenge #2

Challenge #2  by Hrvatica

"Very simple challenge here. Make a fall themed tag or incorporate a tag in a fall themed card, scrapbook layout or other project. Fall themed can include Halloween, Thanksgiving or even just the use a fall colour palette."

My entries are kind of funny because of the size difference.  I had an idea, rushed through it and they're still nice, simple tags.  Using Artiste CTMH Cricut cartridge, page 32, button 2 I cut 2 tags from Recollections paper; the yellow at 7", the red at 6.75".  I originally thought to layer them but changed my mind half way.  I chose this size to fit the not available stamp of the month #S1309 "Poster Tidings".  They were seriously lacking at that point.  So I used another not available SOTM #S1209 "Fall Favorites."  I think I used Cocoa Ink.   I used some MayArts.com thread-web-lace, and some bakers twine to pretty them up a bit.  I look at these pictures and I could've coloured them, but I doubt I will get back to do any more to them now.

Using Recollections brand paper and the Artiste CTMH Cricut cartridge, page 79, button 49 at 4" I cut 6 tags. These are made using the not available SOTM #S1209 "Fall Favorites" stamp set, stamped in Memento Tuxedo black ink, and coloured with CTMH Watercolour pencils, and smoothed the colour with a Blending pen.  They are topped with Bakers Twine from "The Twinery" from my stash.

 Again I am giving these to my local pharmacist to give away to people who would love something pretty.  They've got a good bag of goodies coming!

Fourth Annual Canadian Cricut Circle Swarm Challenge #1

On the Canadian Chat in the Cricut Circle messageboard we do an online "swarm" where people that offer prizes can issue challenges to win their prizes.  Its a lot of fun to see what everyone creates.  Unfortunately this is probably the least active year since its begun.  Fortunately, I've found some time and done all 3 challenges!  As always, click on any picture to enlarge details if you like.

Challenge #1: 
My challenge has 3 parts. As everyone knows from previous swarms, we are soooooooooo (not) very strict about our rules, LOL! Just play along, have fun, cross enter your entries in other things if it suits you. Just show us what you make to count as an entry.

I challenge you to fulfill your entry with all 3 components.
A. Create 6 cards: all the same or all different, any size, any theme, but they must be functional cards, not tags or postcards.

B Stamp an image on each card and Colour it however you desire: colour all or part, colour with chalk, colour with ink, colour with markers, colour with pencil-crayons, colour with water-colour... You get the idea. You could even go crazy, colour the embellishments, colour the paper, have fun! BUT, at least one of the 6 cards must be Halloween themed, interpret as you like with colour, season, image, etc...

C. Post a picture of your creations, and then give them away, with envelopes to fit. Give them to a nursing home, an elderly neighbor, a charity group, a shelter program, it's your choice where, just give them away and let us know how that worked out for you. This is a way of celebrating being thankful for our creativity, and the Thanksgiving portion of this season's challenge.

 This is the Blooming heart Stamp #M1045 stamped with Memento tuxedo black ink, coloured with ShinHan twin touch alcohol markers, cut on white daisy cardstock to make 3 inch note cards.  With black pen I hand doodled a rustic outline.  The image is matted on retired CTMH paper.  I've seen these done on youtube and a few blogs and had to try it.  It's a great way to play around with the new markers.

The next 6 cards are made using the "Better with a Friend" #D1608 page 9 Hostess rewards, of the 2014-15 CTMH Idea book.  It (and 2 other stamp sets) came with my new ShinHan markers as a consultant perk.  Images are stamped using Memento Tuxedo black ink, and coloured with those fancy new markers.  The sentiments are stamped from the "Artfully Sent" cartridge.  Yes, I scraped together some cash and got my hands on it, more on that later!  Some of these cards are edged in CTMH Washi Tape.  That's fancy Japanese trend speak for patterned paper tape that is all the rage right now.  Really great value with CTMH, the rolls are not stingy!  A few of the cards are grounded using Bakers Twine, both CTMH metalic, or from "the Twinery" company which I won a few years ago.

 Honestly, I don't know why these are sideways.  If anyone out there in cyberspace can help me figure it out simply and easily, I'd appreciate it.  The silly thing is that I took all the pictures in the same orientation, baffles me why blogger turned some but not all.

 The one above uses remnants from my "Pathfinding Cardmaking Kit."  I doubled it and made 30 cards, and still have scraps to make more cards! 

 The green blocks pattern paper is from my stash, unknown manufacturer.  I love how it complements her skin tone, LOL!

Here is all 6 cards, thankfully not cockeyed!  I will be giving these cards to my pharmacist and his wife to give away to their customers.  Together they run a locally owned business called Tabour Pharmacy.  They are really kind, caring, generous people.  They will know just who will need a little something pretty to share happiness with.

#30 years of Happy cards

These itty bitty stamps got me to thinking of an article I read in a Cosmo magazine awhile back, about "sexting."  That got your attention I bet!  Sexting is texting using clever emoticon combinations to allude to what you want to communicate.  I can't remember the combinations that were exampled of course, but you can use your imagination.  

Looking at these stamps I saw:
Party like a rock star
Fabulous - you did it
It's your day - Be happy
To you from me SWAK/love  (SWAK = Sealed with a kiss)
heart this party
To you from me repeatedly
YUM or SWEET surrounded by arrows
camera repeatedly - picture perfect inside the card

Pintrest and google images are starting to show some fun results by many tallented bloggers.  There's even a blog-hop-list 30 years of Happy and Sept SOTM if you are interested in seeing more.

Here's my playing around results.  I used the new CTMH ink colours Pixie, Thistle, Flaxen, Canary, and Glacier.  I have given up on CTMH archival ink.  I tried it, it works well, but it is a lot of work to clean the stamps, and it stains stamps like mad.  Many many many YouTube artists and bloggers rely on Memento brand Tuxedo Black fade resistant dye ink for their stamping and marker needs.  I finally bought some to try and it works really well.  It does not stain the CTMH acrylic stamps, it stamps off with very little excess, and cleans off the stamps easily but thoroughly.  What I have stamped and coloured using my new alcohol ink Shin Han markers did not smear, did not transfer to the pen, and performed well.  The sequins are from a multi-colour bag from W@lmart, unknown brand, and glued on with Liquid Glass.

 The "Hello" word bubble is from my Artiste stamp set D1531.   I gave it a wash with "Wink of Stella" white glitter pen.  A word of warning, let the stamped image dry for a day or two before using Wink of Stella products.   Mine is now a funny irregular grey.  I was playing around with making a border with this card.  I'm not sure how to finish it better just now,  I don't care for the gap in the upper right corner. 

 These two cards are just from playing around with the #30daysofHappy stamp set, CTMH Washi tapes Gold PolkaDot, Smoothie Striped, Honey Triangles, Silver Geometric, Ruby Chevron, Sparkles assortment, and a black sharpie pen since it was handy.

These are just simple, flat cards.  They would be perfect notecards for encouraging someone.

Leave me a comment about your favorite card or another combination of the stamps to say something, for a chance to win the finished cards!

Oct 1, CONGRATULATIONS LAURA, you won the cards!