Chatty Sunday: Stash Kit October Review

 As October is now over, I wanted to review the kit and how I did with it.

In last week's chatty Sunday post, I briefly mentioned one of the biggest challenges and concerns with this kit - that the cards were starting to look or feel too similar. Both September and October had very thematic stamps (fall and Halloween) . October, in particular, was difficult because I felt like I ran out of steam sometime in the middle of the process (the spooky purple card). While I'm not unhappy with the cards I created, those last few cards fall more in the category of "like" than "love".

My goal with the Stash Kit project was to make use of my supplies, but I didn't want to create mindlessly or repetitively. Instead, I wanted it to be a way to continue being creative while having a better and more definite focus.

So, future kits will be less thematic, and hopefully a lot more fun.

Here's the tally:
- 11 cards created.
- Added dies, ribbon and card bases from my stash.
- Images colored with Copics and fussy-cut.
- 14 colored images and 4 sentiments left -- they will go in my ready-to-use bin.
- Images were colored with Copics and a couple were enhanced with Prismacolor pencils.

While Copics are still my top choice for coloring, I will try to expand my range a little in November and add some watercolor and purely pencil crayon coloring as well. I think that will lend itself to new techniques and designs.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

SOG - Spooky Scary Blog Hop!

It's time to trick or treat with the Odd Crew!


Our hop this week is full of spooktacular Halloween Tricks and Treats. Don’t worry, our tricks won’t be too scary! AND, just like trick or treating for candy, you don’t want to skip any houses…or blogs in this case! Every stop along the way will have (crafty) goodies for you but you won't get the treats you must be a good trick or treater and stop at every house and leave your comment. You can Trick or Treat with us thru midnight EDT on October 31, winners will be announced back here on Nov 2.


My trick is inspired by one of my favorite Oddie cards Ghostly Violin. I wanted to give this concept another try, but take it up a notch. So, I've combined Violin Gwen digi with the Wraith Mae digi to create a new undead bride. I set her against an aged paper script from Romeo and Juliet, and made a spooky sentiment with stickers.

So, my trick for you is to look beyond your digis and combine them in new and unexpected ways! You can add a touch of spooky or a touch of fun.

For this card, I printed a copy of each stamp, then printed another Wraith Mae onto a piece of very thin copy paper. I put the thin paper over Violin digi and traced where I needed to trim the image so it would layer over the stamp correctly. Then I used that as a guide to fussy-cut the shape I needed. Then I colored everything and adhered the two stamps together. Voila!

Here is our hop order for you after you leave the comfort of my porch...
Anna
Melissa
Elle * You Are Here
Lynda
Ellen
Janine
Ria
Tabbatha
Alexis

Wondering what our treats are?
Well, of course we'll be doing a coupon code for 31% off at the shop throughout the hop, TRICKORTREAT.
Then from those of you who comment on every stop we'll be giving away 3, $20 GCs to the shop. Awesome, right? Make sure to stop in our community, Kristy  may have another surprise up her sleeve as well.
And there you have it!  Happy Haunting – I mean HOPPING!

SK October - Batty

This is the final card using October's Stash Kit. With this card, I wanted to try a layout that was a bit like a scene card without being an actually elaborate scene. I used the adorable bat from Witch Way Is the Candy? by Birdie Brown (now retired) and some bits of paper I still had from a previous card. I added pops of white around the patterned paper strip and a couple of die-cut clouds to make the circular panel look like a purple moon.

 Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

SK October- Purple Kitten

Today's card is another Stash Kit card, using the cute cat and witch's hat from Lawn Fawn's Spooktacular stamp. This time, I tried a different card layout, going with a relatively clean and simple design and using up some paper scraps I had on my desk. I also tied some ribbon to this card, as well as sprinkled just a couple of enamel dots.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Stash Kit: November

One of the challenges with October's kit was that cards started to all look the same. So, I decided to add a touch of randomness and variation.

So, the kit for November does not have one unifying theme. Instead, I've just pulled a few random stamps from the stash and added a couple sets I could use for Thanksgiving projects. Since the selection is random, I've also added more paper pads.

Let's jump straight into it!

The Greeting Farm - Wednesday

Art Impressions - 29 Again

 

My Favorite Things - (BB) Harvest Mouse

Simon Says Stamp - Apple of My Pie

Neat & Tangled - Better Together

Paper Smooches - Metropolis

I've chosen 3 different paper pads.

Lawn Fawn - Perfectly Plaid Fall 6x6

Lawn Fawn - Sweater Weather 6x6

Avery Elle - The Happy Collection 6x6

Lastly, I've added a few embellishments:

Your Next Stamp - Give Thanks for Sparkle Gumdrops

Your Next Stamp - Love Earth Gumdrops

Doodlebug - Rainbow Assortment Sequins

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Fall Blessings

I still had the Fall Foliage stamp and inks out from my last project, so I decided to give another try to the layered look. While I used a lot of the same supplies as last time, I also added a couple of new products - Nuvo Crystal Drops. If you're not familiar with this product, it's a liquid embellishment that has the look and feel of enamel dots after drying. I, personally, love it especially because it can be used to create teeny tiny drops that I love adding but that there are never enough of in an enamel dot package.

This card feels a lot busier than the other one, but I also think I did a better job with the layering.

Thanks for reading!

~Elle~

SK October: Orange Mummy

We're winding down to just a few kit cards left! For today's card, I kept things very simple and used one of my go-to layouts -- rectangle panels of various sized. I layered the sentiment and the mummy cat together and embellished with some enamel dots.

I opted to use orange tones, as I have mostly gravitated toward purple, green and black when it comes to Halloween.

This card is using Mama Elephant's Meowlloween Extras stamp and Doodlebug sprinkles orange vellum (I believe it's now retired).

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

SK October - Purple Spook

This card actually came together rather accidentally. I was planning on a much more elaborate set-up, including a patterned paper panel and some scattered sequins. But, as I was rummaging through my stamped images and sentiments, the ghost and the sentiment rectangle just fell together. I liked how it looked - like the ghost was popping out of the sentiment.

So, I simplified my design and just let that placement be the focal point. I wanted to add a bit of color to make the sentiment stand out, so I blended in some Dusty Concord distress ink into the corner. I adhered the sentiment and the ghost, then added them to a black card base. I tied some purple ribbon underneath.

The last step was to add some dots with Nuvo crystals. I added the purple dots just fine, then planned to add another few yellow dots for contrast. Of course, the yellow is not working great for me and instead of a nice dome, I ended up with a line. I was pretty bummed out, but then realized it could be fun -- it looks like streaks from falling stars or firecrackers, and that's a very interesting look. Creativity to the rescue, right?!

Thanks for reading,
Elle

SK October - Be Afraid

Yet another cute Halloween creation for October's Stash Kit project, today! Like yesterday's card, I'm using Mama Elephant's Meowlloween Extras stamp and Doodlebug patterned paper, along with a selection of dies.

For this card, I wanted to add a touch of sparkle, so I adhered a strip of sparkly silver cardstock. I kept the rest of the card very simple, and added the sentiments stamped on banner dies.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

SK October: Mousey Hello

Time for another Stash Kit card! This time, I'm using Mama Elephant's Meowlloween Extras stamp. I absolutely fell in love with the adorable little mice that's featured in this set - they're the main reason I bought the set - so, I wanted to make them a main feature.

I kept the card very simple, cutting a rectangle of Doodlebug patterned paper and using the Tri Circle die to create little windows for my mice. I added the mice with some foam squares, and adhered a simple sentiment underneath.

The card was missing something, so I added a couple of enamel dots and a hand-drawn border.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Fall Birthday

One of the card techniques I truly admire is a multi-layer clean card. It's the kind of card you may see Kay Miller execute with perfection, but my own attempts are a lot less grand. I'm not sure what it is, really, but I feel like my tries end up either too busy or not busy enough - the sweet spot of just right is so elusive!

Skills don't get good by just wishing we could do them - we get better with practice. So, I decided to throw caution to the wind and practice some layered cards. Since we're finally in the season of autumn, I thought I'd do an autumn birthday card.

I used My Favorite Things' Fall Folliage stamp (now retired) as it had some lovely leaves, acorns and branches that I could just stamp. I didn't want to focus on coloring, just color itself. 

 I started with the bright warm orange-yellow, using WPlus9's Wild Mango ink. I stamped a couple of leaves, then moved onto Simon Says Stamp's Khaki ink. For the acorn and dark branch, I used Lawn Fawn's Walnut ink - I loved the crisp edges and the even coverage. Lastly, I added a touch of red with WPlus9's Gala Red ink.

Once everything was stamped and dry, I fussy-cut the leaves and layered them together in a bundle. I adhered some with regular adhesive and used foam tape for other parts. I added the whole piece onto a rounded top die-cut, then layered it over another die-cut. Lastly, I used Gina K.'s Sweet Corn cardstock as my card base.

I added a simple sentiment on top and embellished with a few pearls and enamel dots.
Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

SK October: Red Witch

There's nothing more fabulous than a witch in a cute outfit, casting a spell. So, of course, I had to make sure I did some great coloring with today's card - featuring Kraftin' Kimmie's My Best Friends are Witches. I used rich reds and blacks for her outfit and made the spell-casting steam multi-colored.

I kept this card very clean and simple, so the focus was on the image. I just sprinkled a few shimmery sequins around - they reminded me of magical bubbles. I added a sentiment and set everything against a dark-colored cardstock.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

SK October - Candy Witch

Today's card is another cute addition to the Stash Kit project for October. The stamp featured in this card is one of my favorite Halloween stamps - Witch Way Is the Candy? by Birdie Brown. I was really bummed out that this stamp retired earlier in the year, but I know it's to make room for some wonderful new creations - and I'm excited to see what Torico will think of next.

I colored the cute witch with Copics, then fussy-cut her out. I paired her with bits and pieces of the cute Doodlebug paper - both pieces were left from a previous card. Then I added everything to a purple card base. I didn't center the front panel in the middle of the card base, just to add a little bit of extra interest.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

SK October - Purrfect Halloween

Last week (and some of this week), I was hit by a bad case of flu. Not only did all the ache and misery make me feel horrible, but it lead to a build up of work-related tasks - and those had to take priority over blogging. Now that I'm finally on the mend, I can go back to sharing cards on a regular basis again.

Today's card is another card in my Stash Kit project for October.  For this card, I used Lawn Fawn's Spooktacular stamp. This stamp features quite a few small Halloween icons that layer together just perfectly to create a sweet scene.

I wanted to add a little bit of texture to the card, so I pulled out some black Doodlebug sprinkle vellum. This vellum is not only tinted, but it features embossed swiss dots, which add a little extra texture without looking too busy.

I added a sentiment and a few small sequins to tie together all the colors.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

SK October - Candy

Today's creation features C.C. Designs Broom Ride (in the Roberto's Rascals line). This is the second card in my October's Stash Kit.

One unique thing I tried for this card is drawing different features - in this case, the eyes. I was inspired by Marika's awesome videos where she goes through the process of sketching in faces and features step by step. I wanted Twila to have more realistic eyes, so I sketched them in using a combination of Copics and colored pencils.

I paired Twila with some candy paper and a puffy sticker. The sentiment from My Favorite Things - (Birdie Brown) Witch Way is the Candy? finishes the card off just perfectly.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

SK October: Witchy

It's October, and it's time to share the first card in my October Stash Kit - a fun and quirky little creation featuring Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps.  My Best Friends Are Witches was a stamp I was really excited to use. It has that perfect blend of fun, cute and whimsy - which makes it a fabulous card to color and use.

I colored the stamp with my Copics, opting for my favorite Halloween color palette - oranges, greens and purples. I added a bit of sea green and gray to the background and cropped the image. I matted the image onto some purple cardstock, then adhered it to a background from Doodlebug's Ghouls & Goodies paper.

The sentiment came from Batty and Catty, and I think it matches perfectly with the rest of the card.

Thank you for reading!
~Elle~

Share what you love

It's finally starting to feel like summer has ended around here, with the temperature no longer climbing into the 80s, which put me in the mood to create something autumnal and lovely. When I think of autumn, the first thing that pops into my mind is watching a brilliant sea of leaves - all red and gold - as we drove to the local apple orchard to pick apples.

I've been blessed to have lived in areas that are full of trees and nature, places where autumn is a glorious treat for all our senses. And even when I moved away from my home in Canada, I moved to an area that's lush with trees and plants. So, autumn is once again that familiar glorious time where it feels like nature is wearing her best sumptuous velvet dress.

When I look at Power Poppy's stamps, I feel that same love of nature. So, it was only appropriate that I would choose Farmer's Market as the right stamp for my card. Both the crate of apples and the sentiment spoke to me, so they've been combined in this clean and simple creation.

Thanks for reading,
~Elle~

Chatty Sunday: September Stash Kit Review

Now that all the cards I've created with September's Stash Kit have been shared, I wanted to take a minute to review how the process went and what I learned from it.

Total cards made: 13
Materials used:
- 8 patterned papers with minimal scraps, scraps will be used to create some die-cut shapes.
- One enamel dot package that was already used a little prior to the challene
- 13 card bases + cardstock for matting some panels
- 1 adhesive refill and 2 sheets of foam dimensionals
Notable materials pulled from stash:
- Embellishments like flowers, vellum tags and Nuvo crystal drops
- Neutral cardstock and sparkly silver cardstock
- Dies and die-cuts

Overall, I think it was a great success! With the amount of material in the kit, I didn't feel too constrained - something that was an issue with single stamp kits for me. I found that photopolymer stamps were easiest to use on multiple cards, whereas single rubber stamps were a bit more complicated. In the future, I may stamp out a rubber stamp only for one card - especially with more complex designs.

Working with one paper pad went well, but I may pull a larger selection of paper in future kits. I was worried that I used the same tones throughout the kit and that it would make the cards seem too similar. So, I might focus on a larger variety after October's kit.

Though September's kit was great, it still wasn't entirely portable because I used so many dies/die-cuts and embellishments out of my stash. If I need to make a kit more inclusive in the future, I will include an embellishment bag and some die-cuts that are cut in advance. Since I will have the paper chosen at the same time, I will be able to cut out a nice set of panels and shapes in appropriate cardstock or paper colors.

Lastly, I want to note that I did not feel too pressured or too overwhelmed by the card creation. The step that took up the most time was blogging about each card. So, I may have to tweak the blogging portion a little in the future. I did, however, appreciate having a daily card to share for September. I'd like to continue that trend in the future, too.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

SK September: Hello There!

This is the final card in September's Stash Kit project! This card feature's Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps' Let the Good Times Roll stamp set. I absolutely adored this image of a girl on a scooter and wanted to do it justice with coloring.

I opted for more natural/earthy tones for my coloring, both because it's appropriate to the season and because I wanted to do something different from my usual bright colors. However, I still brought some extra brightness by choosing a fun patterned paper and die-cut sentiment.

I used a white panel die-cut from a retired STAX die, and adhered the girl so her hair would be just outside the frame. I think this gave the card an extra sense of movement. A couple enamel dots, and voila! A finisher card complete.

Thanks for reading,
~Elle~