Waltzingmouse Turns One!

EDITED TO ADD: I reveal how many stamps I used and the sets they are from below.

Over here on the Waltzingmouse Blog, Claire's newest baby, her stamp company, is having a First Birthday Party and she issued a card contest sketch challenge. Here's the sketch:

And here is my entry:

I tried to use as many WMS stamps as possible on this card, and also used the backing cardstock that Claire packs her stamps in. Can you guess how many WMS stamps I used? (Click on the pic to enlarge.)

I used 7 stamps from 5 different sets. Claire is issuing 8 new stamp sets on May 1. How exciting!

Mojo Monday 136 Vintage

There is a wildly popular blog that posts a sketch challenge each Monday, called Mojo Monday. This is my first time playing along. MOJO136 provided a choice of round or square formats. I say it's hip to be square!

The papers are K&Company, the millinery ribbon is olive shot with gold, the lady is from Oxford Impression's The Art of Being Beautiful plate, and the frame around her and the sentiment are from Waltzingmouse Stamps. I used Spellbinders Nestabilities Circles and Scalloped Circles to cut out this framed beauty. I distressed the scalloped border and torn paper strip with Barn Door Distress Ink.

I found it quite challenging to follow a sketch, but it is good to be challenged sometimes! Thanks for stopping by to see.

New home

This is a card for my aunt and uncle who have just moved into a new home. The stamps are Technique Tuesday and the ink is Memento Rose Bud. I discovered the frame for the little house stamp was just the right size to border an opening made by a Spellbinders label die. The Fancy Tag die I used at the base behind the sentiment was too small to stamp the word "home" on, so I layered the word on another piece of cardstock, then split the tag apart underneath to stretch it out. My favourite Swarovski crystals finish it off.

Nativity

Sylvia has a Christmas Card Challenge on her blog. Her list of monthly themes is here and this month the theme is Nativity. I haven't managed to make Christmas cards in Jan, Feb or March, but did get one done for April. Hopefully I will be a better challenge player in future!

I only have the one nativity stamp (unknown brand), sort of a cartoon style. Really not my thing but I decided to go with it anyways. The strips of glittered tape border a SU! sentiment that is embossed with purple tinsel.

Innies and Outties

I made two versions of this "special fold" card. I found a wonderful tutorial by Melanie at Stamper's Quest and decided to give it a whirl. Lately I have been finding special folds to be a lot of fun. 

 

Depending on which side you decide to feature, this card can be an innie or an outtie. On the one above, I Cuttlebug embossed Happy Birthday on the side panels.

On this card, I accented the butterflies and Cuttlebug embossed flowers with glitter. These types of cards stand up well and look impressive on a mantel. I am looking forward to exploring more special folds.

WMS Blog Waltz - Mother's Day

The little Irish stamp company that could, Waltzingmouse Stamps, is having a blog waltz. Yessiree, no unseemly hopping going on here - just a lovely, swaying waltz around the blogosphere.

The theme is Mother's Day, which we celebrate in Canada in May, so maybe this year my mum will get her card on time!

I am especially pleased with the text I removed from the book "Gardens of our Souls" and used for the background of this card. If you click on the photo, it should expand large enough for you to read it. The excerpt talks about mothers' voices, their tried and true quotes, like "Wear clean underwear," and even cites the Irish poet W.B. Yeats! I used only Waltzingmouse stamps (Spring Baskest and Faux Fun sets) on this card and made liberal use of Pumice Stone, one of the 12 new Distress Inks I'm playing with these days. Ribbon is a wired ombre. Hardware is Stampin' Up! As Claire of WMS would say, "Hope it tickles."

To find out where all the other stops are in the waltz, go to Claire's blog post as it has all the details.

Fool me twice!

That was the theme of this week's Created byHand Challenge, Fool Me Twice. I decided to settle for once. This card looks like a medallion was stamped to create the focal point, but actually, it is a kaleidoscope card.

I made this using a Flourishes 1 stamp from Quietfire Design. I stamped it 12 times through a 30 degree wedge cut from a piece of acetate. A Martha Stewart water lily punch for the center is accented by an amber Swarovski crystal, echoed by 12 smaller ones around the circle. The corner diamond is also from Quietfire. I think I need to purchase Suzanne's Flourished Corners set - they would have been perfect! Distress Inks were used to shade the background.

Here's a (fuzzy) close up:

Thanks for stopping by!