SPRING CHICKEN!

Hi!  Here's another paper pieced chicken!  I love this Whipper Snapper Standing chicken!  For another example (flowered) please visit this POST.   I love this plaid one too!

For this one I used my new Memory Box die that cuts out a panel of Happy Birthdays!  I love it!!  From it you can make such a simple (and quick) birthday card for anyone!
I used some solid twine from an Etsy store and I'm not sure where the sentiment came from. I added black dots for the chicken to stand (and peck) in and DONE!
Thanks for stopping by on this very chilly day!  We had 15 degrees below zero earlier-No school today!
Off to get some of my work done though!  Have a good one!
Cheryl

Trumpety Congratulations!

Hello!  Even though it was too cold to leave the house much, the weekend has still flown by!  I have my usual Sunday night school work to do, but first, a card to show!  This is LITTLE TRUMPETY with BOW from the recent Magnolia collection.  It's available for 20% off at Diana's Magnolia-licious store! She also gives you a percentage back as store credit!! 

 We have friends who have welcomed a new granddaughter into the world recently.  She is medically fragile and has already had surgery, so we send daily prayers for this little baby, her family, and her doctors and nurses.  My friend, Trish loves (and collects) elephants, so I think she will really appreciate this card.  Especially since the trunk is up for good luck!!

I stamped Trumpety on xpress it blending card and colored her with copic markers.  I used T0, T1, T3, and T5 for her skin.  the bow is E93 and lots of blender!  the grass is E42 and G43.  I used E42 for a bit of shadow around her.  I also added some sponging with Pool Party.You probably recognize Stampin' Up Crisp Cantaloupe and Pistachio Pudding for my papers and ribbon.  The card base is PTI's Smokey Shadow.

Thanks for visiting me here at Cottage Creations!  Have a good start to the final week of January2014~( can you believe it!?
Cheryl
(Remember~ we'd love to have you join in on our Just Us Girls Inspiration Photo challenge for this week!  See post below!)

Just Us Girls #225 Inspiration

Hi there!! Now I always find the JUGS designers inspirational, but today is our monthly Inspiration Photo challenge!  You can see it HERE!  With all those hearts I was inspired to create a valentine!

 I used Papertrey Inks Tremendious Treats Valentine for my pup image.  He is stamped on Xpress it blending card and colored with copic markers. I cut Spellbinders circles to mount him on in Cherry Cobbler and Early Espresso (SU!)
My card base is Kraft with a layer of Cherry Cobbler run through the dot embossing folder and sponged with early Espresso.  Oh, and that great, great banner!  That was given to me by my stamping buddy, Lisa and is also from Papertrey Ink.  I used the dies to cut the Espresso layer and the white layer.  Then I traced the white layer on cherry cobbler (and hand cut it) so my hearts would be red through the little windows!

A few pearls to finish off the corner.  I don't know, but I'm pretty sure I need to add some glitter (or Stickles) to the pup or the hearts.  Valentines should sparkle, shouldn't they??
Please join us in our challenge this week.  You have until Thursday, Jan. 22 at 9:00 pm ET. We would LOVE to see what you come up with!  And, check out more inspiration on our blog-linked at the top of this post.
Have a great day and weekend! Stay warm!!
Cheryl

Just Us Girls #244 Color Challenge!

Hi all and thanks for coming by!  We at Just Us Girls have a color challenge we hope you'll join in on!  You can find the color on the JUGS blog HERE.  The colors are Marina Mist, Baja Breeze and Kraft (a nice tonal set of colors which look great together).

 My card has a kraft card base, then a layer of one of SU's blues. I don't have any Marina Mist  After that is a layer of Baja Breeze, then DP by Lilybee Design.  My image is stamped on Express it blending card and colored with copics.  The stamp is available from Expression in Ink and you can find it HERE

 I cut the banner from MFT's Fishtail Flags.  My edges are all sponged with distressi nk tea dye. Seems like I've used a lot of twine latley, but I like the looks of it when ribbon won't fit and on more homespun cards. Sometimes I see gems, sequins or pearls scattered in a pretty way around a card front, so I decided to try that too!

Hope you like it and will consider joining us for this week's challenge!  You have until Thursday, Jan. 22 at 9:00 pm ET and there is loads of inspiration on our blog!
Have a great Saturday!!
Cheryl

To die for!

Gosh, don't you love all the dies that are out there! I keep buying them! They take up so little room!  I traveled to Buffalo Stamps and Stuff on Saturday with my friend, Lisa.  We shopped there for several hours.  Among the many new things, Sharon had many of the new Memory Box/Poppystamps dies!

The new ones on my card (which I made to thank Lisa for a thoughtful Christmas gift) are the bunnies (adorable) and the climbing vine (lovely!).  I have had the window for awhile and not used it.  The cat is from the set by Impression Obsession.
The brick embossing folder is from Tim Holtz.  I embossed cream paper and then followed Kittie747s instruction to ink it with Tea Dye and then Fired Brick distress ink pads.  You can just rub the stamp pad directly on the card stock.  Then sponge a bit of tea dye in between the bricks. My window is built by cutting two of the die from black card stock and sandwiching the dp and dimensionals in between them. Of course, the cat is tucked in as well as the piece of doily.  then the whole window was taped to the card front.
The bunnies were cut from kraft card stock and then inked with tea dye and walnut, just like the cat (but the cat was cut from cream paper).
The flowers on the vine are from the "flower mound" (Poppystamps or Memory Box-I don't really understand if they are the same company or two different ones!) I inked some pink card stock with Rose ink and then cut the die.  Place the flowers on a sponge pad (like a mouse pad) and poke them with a stylus to get them to curl, then glue on. (Kittie does some amazing tutorials!)

Well, that's it for tonight!
See you soon!  You have until Thursday to enter Just Us Girls challenge-Paper piecing.  See post below for details and links!
Cheryl

Just Us Girls #223 Paper Piecing!!

Oh, how I LOVE this technique!!  Thank you so much for offering us the "challenge", Sharyn!  It's so fun to look through my treasures (stamps) with Paper Piecing in mind!  they take on a whole new look!  Please check our blog for loads of inspiration!  JUGS BLOG.  There are some beautiful samples of this technique, I'm tellin' ya!!

click photo to enlarge

My stamp is Standing Chicken from Whipper Snapper Designs.  You can find it HERE!  I think it is drawn by the amazing Anna Wight.  She draws the best chickens, bar none! Love Whipper Snapper!! I've had this one for a few years and this is my favorite card I've made with it~it's actually one of my fav cards ever.  I'm sorry, but I don't know where I got this sentiment.

As I mentioned, I love, love, love this technique so I created a number of cards using it in my efforts to inspire you.  So, without further adieu, her is another!
                                                      

click photo to enlarge

This one is from Purple Onion Designs.  It's drawn by Stephanie Ackerman and here is the link to her designs for Purple Onion.  Faith the Chicken (and friends!)  Great company to order from-ships really fast!  As you can see, I've used the same papers and similar colors for my companion card! The background is SUs embossing folder-Is it chicken wire or hexagons?  This time I know the 'hey chickie' sentiment is from Purple Onion!!

The dotted Kraft papers is from Papertrey Ink as is the Canyon Clay (rust) card stock.  In additon I've used Rustic Cream, Soft Suede,and Early Espresso.  The flowered paper is from Cosmo Cricket (an 8x8 pad), Honky Tonk, from last year.

Gotta run, after two days off of school (snow, cold days) I have to get some school work done for tomorrow (typing this on Wed. eve)

Please, won't you join us in the challenge for this week!  All our Chicks of the Week are entered in a chance to be chosen as our monthly guest designer! We'd love to see what you create!

Thanks for stopping by!  have a great day and weekend!  

Cheryl

And a pic of the two together

I know my friend, Cindy will love these!  Her husband named our little stamping group The Card Cluckers!  We must sound like a bunch of hens when we get together!

Winter Scene

Hello!  I'm in middle of our second snow day from school, so thought I'd get another winter card posted.  We are south of Buffalo, so did not get hit with the terrible lake affect snow like they did to the north.  I hope all are well as they come out the other side of the blizzard they had.  Today we have temps in the high teens with glorious sunshine!

This stamp is from Impression Obsession-Cardinals in Window. (Click on the words to see it!)
There's a beautiful sample on the stamp page, but I didn't want to just copy it.  This image colors up very quickly.  I added white snowflakes to the corner of the  black paper.  before layering on my image.

I'm still waiting for Leelou blogs to add my design to my blog.  It's been disappointing as I ordered it (and paid for it) WEEKS ago now.  I'm hoping for soon, though.  We'll see.....
Anyway, I'm glad you came by!
You can still enter this week's sketch challenge at Just Us Girls .  
It's a great sketch! And, you won't want to miss Saturday's challenge!  I've made two cards, which are among my favorites I've EVER made. Please check back!
Cheryl

Mitten Snowman

Despite my last card, which was floral, I am not done with winter cards!  I love my snowmen.  It's far too cold outside for making them so I will make them inside and with paper!

This is Mitten Snowman from Whipper Snapper Designs colored with copics.  The card base is white then I added the layers!  Pool party, then coordinations from SU run through my fav new embossing folder by Sizzix.  The turquoise layer is stamped with plaid (IO, I think) and finally my image.
Pretty simple card, but I love the colors together!
Thanks for visiting! Stay warm!!! (NO school for me or LISA today~translation~a craft day!!
Cheryl

Just Us Girls- Sketch Challenge (#222)

Hello!! I've been working with so many winter cards that it was great fun to pull out other colors and this fabulous JUGS sketch and create a flower card!  We hope you will join us!

I had so much natural light with the sun shining today, but COULD NOT get a good picture!  You'll have to suffer through FIVE (count 'em!) bad ones to get an idea of my card! It really came out better than expected and I'm so disappointed in my photography skills!

Please go to the JUGS blog where you WILL NOT be disappointed and you WILL BE inspired!!  Nancy's sketch is there as well AND you can meet out January Guest Designer-Geraldine Bailey!!

 I won't rattle on much more, but you may want to know that this adorable flower is from High Hopes and is called DH Posey. You can see it HERE!  The photo is huge, but the stamp is actually only about 2" x 1.5", perfect for using one, two, or three on a card, don't you think?

Thanks for bearing with me and my poor photography today!! Please join us in making a project with the great sketch (thanks, Nancy!!).  We'd love to see what you create and you have until Thurs., Jan. 9 at 9:00 pm ET to link your card on our blog (LINKed above).
Cheryl

Snowy the owl-thanks!

Hello!  Well, it's sure been snowy here and now it's just cooold!!  I made this card with Purple Onion designs, Snowy the Owl.  Another cutie by Stacey Yacula!  Love her designs!

 I perched Snowy on the Impression Obsession branch.  The heart embossing folder (Sizzix) is made from Coordinations card stock in Pool party.  When sanded it brings out a lighter color so it looks like heart-shaped snow. I added liquid applique to the branch and once I'd puffed it up I added glue and Prisma glitter.

Hope you like it!
Remember, tomorrow (well, tonight at midnight) we'll have a new challenge over at Just Us Girls!!  It's a neat-o sketch!  Be sure to check in and see!
Have a great day!  I need to get out into the cold to feed my birdies!
Cheryl

Snowcat!!

Hello and Happy 2014!  I hope you celebrated in style!  I was sound asleep when the new year arrived!  This girl doesn't have much party left in her at midnight!  Anyway, here is yet another winter card (possibly a valentine) with kraft, red and turquoise~I love these colors!

 Another confession is that I don't know which company made this stamp!  When only unmounted is offered I try to remember to write on the back of the rubber.  This time I forgot! I'm sorry!  If anyone knows, I'd sure appreciate a note!

This card seemed to work best when I kept layering!  The base is a confetti cream, then cherry cobbler, coastal cabana and kraft.  Layers are repeated and the cat is stamped on xpress it blending and colored with copics.  The rest is pretty self explanatory.  The heart embossing is from Sizzix and I finally found it on Etsy.
The heart die cuts in the corner are from a great little die from Verve.  I wish I'd ordered 2 so I could cut a lot of hearts at once!
I really love this typle of image because they color up so quickly!
Hope you've enjoyed seeing what I'm up to! Have a great holiday-my plan is to make cards and soup!
Cheryl

(Remember, if you have time to craft, we have a New Year's inspiration photo challenge going on over at Just Us Girls-you have until Thursday eve at 9:00 ET to enter!)
JUGS