Funky Fossil - Into the Winter Wonderland

Hi Everyone,

Funky Fossil Designs came out with new stencils and I wanted to show you one of the new ones, because I think it is perfect for making quick Christmas cards. By now most of us I guess are scrambling to get all those cards done.......

That is the new stencil:

 It is called Into the Wild. 

As you see, I used it repeatedly, sponging with grey distress oxide ink. The last row I heat embossed in white - it takes a little time for the distress oxide ink to dry, so the embossing powder sticks to the last row. I also didn't mind that it stuck little bits to the other trees, as I wanted a snow dusted appearance. Added embossed water splatters. The sentiment is from the set Festive Penguins. the die cut Santa is one of my favorites from Dixie Crafts. He makes an appearance every year!

Happy Stamping!

Linking up with:

Happy Little Stampers Christmas challenge - anything goes

Christmas Kickstart - snow

The Holly and Ivy Christmas challenge - anything goes

The Back Stories With Darnell and Cornelia - #14 Felix

Felix 

Felix wasn't paying much attention to his surroundings. He had just left through the back door of the paint factory where he worked. He hoped the boss hadn't seen him because he had been fired from every other company in Franklin Township due to his insatiable curiosity. The truth was, he was a living cartoon stereotype of a cat. And now he'd done it again.

As he slowed to a lope and stopped, Felix realized he was standing in the alley behind Miss Peterson's house. She taught piano lessons. “Great,” Felix thought, “all I need is for one of those kids to see that I spilled pink paint all over myself!” He knew they would taunt him mercilessly, just as they had done before with the mustard, and then another time with the feathers, and all the rest.

Felix hurried further down the alley looking right and left for somewhere to hide. When he reached the dead end, he sat down, thoroughly dejected. Time slowly passed and Felix became aware that clouds had gathered.

Rain?!

Felix stood up on his back legs and raised his paws in the air, prayerfully thinking, “Oh, yes, please, please, sweet merciful rain!!” Even though he was deathly afraid of water, Felix jumped up and down and twirled around, hoping the universe would let loose.

Finally dizzy, Felix spun to a halt and looked up to see huge raindrops begin to fall. "WHOA,” he thought to himself, gulping. “Steady on, ol' chap!"

Digging his claws into the uneven gravel, Felix whimpered as he realized the universe wasn't going to let him get away with this latest CATastrophe scot free. 

First he was going to have to take some pain right smack in the face from the biggest raindrop he had ever seen!

Darnell Knauss, Author

Cornelia Wenokor, Illustrator

©11/15/2019
Vol. 1 Ep. 15

Crackerbox & Suzy Stamps - Poinsettia Christmas Card

Hi Everybody,

just as promised - another Christmas card. What else, at this time of the year, right? !

This is another easy one. I took photo paper as background. Stamped the wonderful Poinsettia and sprinkled Brushos on it. I used red and yellow. I then sprinkled a bit of green onto my craft mat and just minimally dipped my finger in it and added ti to the tips of the leaves to have a more controlled color application. Added the sentiment.

I then sprinkled a bit of green onto my craft mat and just minimally dipped my finger in it and added ti to the tips of the leaves to have a more controlled color application. 

Added the sentiment. Trimmed the card and added gold tape on the side.

Happy Stamping!

And here is our current promotion:

Linking up with:

The 12 Month of Christmas - red and green

Inkspirational - on layer card

Watercooler Wednesday - occasions

Katzelkraft - Grumpy Penguin

Hi Everyone,

as you all know, Wednesday is Katzelkraft day on my blog. 

I am continuing with my Christmas card production. I hope you won't get tired of them.

My Katzelkraft stamps:

Accessories KTZ156, Grumpy Penguins KTZ145

I stamped one of the penguins. Colored him with water brush pens and Stabilo markers. Masked the penguin and sprinkled black Brusho around it. sprayed with water.  Added the hat from the Accessories set. Added the sentiment and some Washi tape on the side. Can't be much easier than that.

Hope you liked this - I'll be back next Wednesday with more Katzelkraft inspiration!

If you feel the urge to buy any Katzelkraft products, you can also order them in the US from those companies: Topflight Stamps, Lost Coast Designs, or Frantic Stamper. 

Use code FUNSTAMPING to get 12% discount at Topflight Stamps.

Happy Stamping!

Linking up with:

Stamp Connection #54

Hi Everyone,

Connected through our love for card making, blogging and being from Germany we (Tanja from Little Art Cottage and I) decided to create a monthly project within predefined requirements. We are going to show you the result every 2nd Sunday of the month and this is our 54th transatlantic get-together!

This time it was Tanja's turn to pick the requirements:
CAS Christmas

This was of course super easy to make. I took this glitzi Washi tape and dded the die cuts (Whittle dies from Poppy Stamps) I only agonized a little bit about how to place the deer and  a lot more about what sentiment to use and how to place it......funny, how things go. But I am probably not the only one agonizing about those things. I am pretty sure you all go through this process at least every once in a while....

Here is a slightly different view. It glitters really nicely! and I just love those slightly bedraggled looking deer!

Lets check out  Tanja's artwork!

Happy Stamping!

Linking up with:

Christmas Kickstart - snow (thanks for the nudge, Jo)

Day of the Month Card Club - Look for Circles Day

Hi Everyone,

welcome our ninth Day of the Month Card Club challenge!

This month we are celebrating the national 

"Look for Circles Day"

 For more detail on this day go visit our challenge blog.

We also have a Guest Designer with us  - I am sure you all know her - it's Coni Longley from Which Craft?, who was voted winner in challenge #7. She is immensely creative and one of the best commentors I know. It's always a delight to read her comments, which she distributes generously on my blog and everyone else she follows! So uplifting!

 Now here is my inspiration card:

I didn't want you to look too hard for circles on my card, ha ha.....

The circles I made with a MFT stencil. I did some die cutting with a MFT die and elevated the letters with fun foam. 

Not too tedious to make and I love the way this looks.

I am counting on you! You have until the end of the month (11/30) to do so.

Please link up HERE

This is a voting challenge - the winner will be determined by vote. Everybody can vote, even if you didn't play along. Voting starts on the first of the following month - June first. 

The 3 participants with the most votes will win. 

The winners will be showcased on the 5th of each month and the new challenge will start each month on the seventh.

And to make it more fun and appealing it would be great if you could comment on at least 3 other participants - perhaps you'll find some new friends that way. 

There is always a reason to celebrate!

Linking up with:

Craft Stamper TIMI challenge - anything goes

Katzelkraft - the Same Procedure as Every Year

Hi Everyone,

as you all know, Wednesday is Katzelkraft day on my blog. 

I am continuing with my Christmas card production. I hope you won't get tired of them.

I have not used the birds in a while .....

Le Piafs KTZ151

I used an ombre colored background and stamped the bird on it. Colored him with water brush pens and Stabilo markers. Added the sentiment. Can't be much easier than that.

Hope you liked this - I'll be back next Wednesday with more Katzelkraft inspiration!

If you feel the urge to buy any Katzelkraft products, you can also order them in the US from those companies: Topflight Stamps, Lost Coast Designs, or Frantic Stamper. 

Use code FUNSTAMPING to get 12% discount at Topflight Stamps.

Happy Stamping!

Linking up with:

Crackerbox & Suzy Stamps - Minion Christmas

Hi Everybody,

it's the count down to Christmas!!!! You better start thinking about it, too - only a few more weeks! So expect to see a lot of Christmas cards from me from now on.....

I first made my background with a Clarity stencil and Mr. Huey white spray paint. 

I took the Minion Stuart and colored him with Inktense pencils. Cut him out. Stamped the knit hat and cut it out. Arranged everything on the dried card base and added the sentiment with heat embossing. Added Washi tape at the bottom

Happy Stamping!

And here is our current promotion:

Coffee Lovers Blog Hop with Crackerbox & Suzy Stamps

Hi Everyone,

welcome to the Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop!

Crackerbox & Suzy Stamps is a super sponsor on this hop!  I hope you have a cup of coffee or tea and have some extra time to enjoy this hop!

My Crackerbox & Suzy Stamp supplies:

Bean Awhile

Coffee Drink

Holly Branch

Viney Holly

I did some masking and stamping. Colored the image with water brush pens. Added extra thick embossing powder as "foam" on my coffee cup. I also masked the cup again in the end and used a Tim Holtz stencil to create to coffee stains. I used a stitched die to trim my card. Mounted it onto a card base with some blue paper on the left side. Added the heat embossed sentiment.

I hope you liked this and are enjoying your coffee!

And now a little present for you - use any of my above links to get to the store:

Happy Hopping!

Funky Fossil - Coffee Lovers hop

Hi Everyone,

Funky fossil is a super Sponsor in the Coffee Lovers blog hop.

And there is a super cute stamp set that is just perfect for all your coffee card making needs!

It is called Pugs and Hugs. Such a cutie, that pug! I colored the image with Inktense pencils. I added some coffee stains with a stencil and added those little cute die cut elements.

Here is that adorable set:

And now the best part:

There will be a £15 gift certificate for the store from comments left  here and on the Funky Fossil blog and 15% discount in the store during the duration of the hop with code COFFEE15

Happy Hopping Everyone!

The Back Stories With Darnell and Cornelia - #13 Chester

CHESTER

Arlene looked out her office window just in time to see young Chester lift his leg and whiz on the asphalt.

This was Arlene's 35th year at the Sacred Heart Animal Obedience School. She didn't even want to think how many classes she had taught and she was excited that today was her last day.

At the beginning of each class Arlene thought she'd luck out and not have a "Chester" in her class. But.every.single.time.there.was.one. The other animals were eager to learn and willing to follow the rules. They were predictable and easy.

As Arlene continued to watch out the window, she noticed something she'd never noticed before. In fact, she felt a bit light-headed and silly that she hadn't seen it before. Then again, with a "Chester" in every class, naturally her attention was focused on him or her and the rest of the group became a bit of a blur. 

This time Arlene stopped watching the little hooligan and focused her attention on the faces of the other animals. She was surprised to notice that they weren't shocked or disgusted in the least. Rather, they were looking at Chester with admiration and a bit of awe. Arlene knew from experience that even the donkey with his wonky-donkey eyes was feeling the same way. She leaned back against her desk and crossed her arms over her ample chest. She reflected on what her career would have been like if she hadn't had a "Chester" in every class. It didn't take her long to realize the answer: boring!

In truth, Arlene thought, the world needs Chesters. She remembered her father always quoting Henry Thoreau. She reached for her phone and looked it up. 

"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away."

Arlene smiled, realizing that the same was true of the animal kingdom. She grabbed her purse and walked out of her classroom. On the way to her car, she stopped in the playground and stood in front of Chester. “Goodbye, Chester,” she said. Taking off her training apron, she patted him on the head, and then she emptied the entire pocket of treats on the ground in front of him. Throwing back her head and laughing out loud, she turned and walked away.

Darnell Knauss, Author

Cornelia Wenokor, Illustrator

stamps: Cats onAppletrees

©11/01/2019
Vol. 1 Ep. 15

Katzelkraft - Christmas: Take it Easy

Hi Everyone,

as you all know, Wednesday is Katzelkraft day on my blog. 

And I really have to make more Christmas cards, believe it or not.

So I pulled out my favorite angel from the Sherlock Holmes  set - the exhausted little guy - remember him from last year? You think he should have recovered in the meantime, but I guess not...

Sherlock Holmes KTZ211

I used an ombre colored background and stamped the angel on it. Colored him with water brush pens and Stabilo markers. Added the sentiment. Can't be much easier than that.

The sentiments says: 

Christmas: take it easy

relax

eat, drink and be happy

without inhibitions

and keep smiling

Hope you liked this - I'll be back next Wednesday with more Katzelkraft inspiration!

If you feel the urge to buy any Katzelkraft products, you can also order them in the US from those companies: Topflight Stamps, Lost Coast Designs, or Frantic Stamper. 

Use code FUNSTAMPING to get 12% discount at Topflight Stamps.

Happy Stamping!

Linking up with:

Crackerbox & Suzy Stamps - Cool Yule

Hi Everybody,

we are getting closer to that wonderful time of the year where we are all sending out tons of cards....you know which time I am talking about - yes - Christmas!!!! You better start thinking about it - only a few more weeks....that's right!

Here is an easy one. I took the cool deer stamp and colored with with water brush pens. Cut it out.

I took grey background paper and the cool Yule stamp and stamped it repeatedly with Versamark and heat embossed it in clear. Added white gel pen accents. I distressed the paper a bit with distress ink in grey and added generous white splatters. Added the deer.

Happy Stamping!

And here is our current promotion:

Linking up with:

Funky Fossil - Elegant Tree

Hi Everyone,

I made yet another Christmas card with my Funky Fossil supplies.

I used the Elegant Tree stencil with gold embossing paste. When the paste was partially dried, I pressed the pearls into it. I guess you could also wait until its dry completely, but I think they are a bit better anchored, if you can press them in. Once it was completely dry I trimmed the Kraft card and added Washi tape at the bottom.

This would be super easy to mass produce. I might just do this, in case I don't fulfill my quota of Christmas cards..... You don't even need a single stamp here....

Happy Stenciling Everyone!