Retro, Vintage, aka Old Rubber Stamps...

One swallow will not make spring, nor one bee honey. ~Proverb

So whilst putzing around the internet one day I stumbled across a blog challenge that requires you to use those old stamps you have hanging around!

I am so excited I found this blog!

See, I am on several Design Teams and every one of them require the use of digital images. Don’t get me wrong, I’m getting used to using them but I so love my rubber stamps which are being horribly neglected these days because of it.

My 2022 resolution (one of none I make) is to create more cards using my rubber stamps and I love that I found a blog that will encourage me towards my goal.

That being said, I fingered through my oh --- so --- many --- Retro, Vintage, Old stamps and decided on using this set from The Angel Company called “Happy Bugs”. I’m sure many of you out there in blogland remember that company. Great stamps. Was so sad when they closed down.

The card is a little cleaner than I think it should be but I could think of what else to do with it so I added some googlie eyes (which helped) but then left it alone.

It's also based on sketch currently in play at Retro Rubber Challenge Blog

This really is such a great set for that bug lover in your life or in my case when I purchased the set, small children!

4.25 x 5.50
Supplies

• Cardstock from The Paper Studio (Base) and Stampin Up!
• Embossing folder from Darice, Solid Clouds
• Googlie eyes form my stash
• Indian Ink from Memories
• Stamps from The Angel Company, Happy Bugs)
• Vellum from my stash
  
• Key word RRCB172

CHALLENGES ENTERED

RETRO RUBBER CHALLENGE #72, It's Sketch Time (entry 2)

DOUBLE TROUBLE CHALLENGE #98, Something, Anything, Everything (entry 4)

JAN'S DIGI STAMPS CHALLENGES, November 2021, Anything Goes (entry 101)

A BIT MORE TIME TO CRAFT CHALLENGES, November/December, Anything Goes (entry 146)

Great Blessings

Thanksgiving Day would be a side-play

Minus the golden Pumpkin;

No feast is complete, if they have not to eat,

A circle of yellow Pumpkin.

Oh! the Pumpkin pie will ever out-vie,

Johnny-cake, pone, or corn dodger,

You don't need to chew, it melts like the dew,

When the sun shines bright on the clover.

~Mrs. May C. Hanks (b. 1842), "Pumpkin is Queen"

Today a new Sunday Song & Rhyme Challenge has started at The Outlawz Challenges and will run through October 11, 2021

Our sponsor this month is: Makenna Kroulik with a prize of the two images used by the team.

Summer's flurry

Of green is over,

Apples are ripe,

Mown is clover.

Colors, ablaze

On mountains, burn,

Smolder, and flame

As the seasons turn.

Harvest moon

Comes up at dusk,

Gold as a pumpkin

Or corn in the husk...

~Harry Behn (1898–1973), "Autumn," The Golden Hive, 1966

Supplies used

• Image printed on Hammermill Color Copy
• Archival Ink from Ranger
• Cardstock from Pen+gear (Base) and Stampin Up!
• Design Paper from my stash
• Dies from Lawn Fawn (banner), M&C Boutique (scalloped circle), Sizzix (Classic Circle)
• Embossing folder from Stampin Up!
• ProMarkers
• Sentiment from Unity Stamp Company
• Tag punch from Stampin Up!
• Sketch used: January 2014 PageMaps

 

Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to stop by The Outlawz Challenges for more challenges and Inspiration!

(Hugs) Cara

CHALLENGES ENTERED

Love to Scrap Challenge Blog, LTSCB #151 - Anything Goes (entry 144)

QKR Stampede Challenge #432 - Anything Goes (entry 74)

Penny's Paper-cRaft Challenge #510 - Anything Goes + twist using paper (entry 43)

Little Patch of Craft Friends, C #170 - Anything Goes (entry 84)

The Corrosive Challenge, Challenge # 11- NOVEMBER 2021 - Anything Goes (entry 116)

Dancing with your Spirit! ...

For dancing is the loftiest, the most moving, the most beautiful of the arts, because it is no mere translation or abstraction from life; it is life itself. It is the only art, as Rahel Varnhagen said, of which we ourselves are the stuff. ~Havelock Ellis, "The Art of Dancing," The Dance of Life, 1923

Good morning!

Today I am sharing a new image from Sandra Caldwell, aka Babycakesdnd! These have just been released and you can purchase this one and several other new releases in her ETSY SHOP for 50% off if you order in the next 24 hours!

#3773 Sweating to the Oldies ... Isn’t she fun?

Supplies, 5 x 7 card

• Image #3773 Sweating to the Oldies printed on Hammermill Color Copy
• Card stock from The Paper Studio (base) and Stampin Up!
• Design Paper from Darice
• Embossing folder from Spellbinders “Music”
• Ink from Memories
• ProMarkers
• Rhinestones were a gift
• Sentiment from The Angel Company “Dance with your Spirit”
• Sketch: Mojo Monday #8

Don’t forget to visit her Facebook page where there is always something happening!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1643440135938124/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/192920250808985/

http://babycakesmerrywhatever.blogspot.com/

Thanks for stopping by!

(Hugs) Cara

CHALLENGES ENTERED

A Perfect Time to Craft, #11-2021, Anything Goes (entry 281)

Classic Design Challenge Blog November #11, Anything Goes (entry 287)

Creative Fingers Challenge Blog #219, Anything Goes (entry 95)

Love to Scrap Challenge Blog: LTSCB #151, Anything Goes (entry 104)

Color Dare #741, Use all 3: Black, White& Gray plus one color of choice (entry 2)

The Outlawz Crash your Stash Challenge: Flocking

When baby smiles in his sleep, an angel kisses him. ~Ouina (Cora L. V. Scott Richmond), given through her Medium "Water Lily," Ouina's Canoe, 1882

Good morning!

We have a new Crash your Stash Challenge starting at The Outlawz Challenges which will run through December 15th

Our generous Sponsor this month Oddball Art

Prize is a $10 gift code

Our cue this month is Flocking

Flocking. Something else I forget I have until a challenge comes up! Luckily enough, I have a box of tiny vials filled with this stuff that I bought so many years ago from The Oriental Trading Company so I don’t have a lot of money invested in something that literally sits in a drawer with my glitters.

I though about covering the whole image but realized I would also cover up the detailing for this sweet little lamb so I opted to flock highlines.

Supplies:

• Image, No Drama Llama from Oddball art, printed on Hammermill Premium Cover Card Stock
• Design Paper from Colorbok
• Flocking powder from The Oriental Trading Company
• ProMarkers
• Sentiment from Inkahootz! (Out of business)
• Sketch used: Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #280

Now come on over to The Outlawz Challenges to play along with us or one of the other challenges that are always in process!

(Hugs) Cara

Growing in Unity Bloghop 2021

It isn't the size of the gift that matters, but the size of the heart that gives it. ~Eileen Elias Freeman, The Angels' Little Instruction Book, 1994

Good morning!

We are starting the day off with a quick Blog Hop sponsored by Unity Stamps! If you comment on all the blogs in the hop, you will get a chance to win one of two amazing prize packages from Unity Stamps!

Today I am sharing two sets of cards I made for a friend as part of her Christmas gift this year. Usually, I make a gift box for the cards but this year I decided to change it up and created matching gift bags that the cards could be stored in. I then made matching gift tags so that she could use the bags later for gifting purposes when the cards were gone.

This is a set of Christmas cards

Christmas card supplies:

• Stamp set: “A Child is Born” from Unity Stamp Co.
• Cardstock from The Paper Studio (base) and Stampin Up!
• Design Paper from my Stash
• Ink from Stampin Up!
• Rhinestone from my Stash

Matching Gift Bag & Tag

Matching Gift Bag & Tag supplies

• Sentiments from a grab bag from Unity Stamp Co.
• Card stock from The Paper Studio, Bazzill
• Design Paper from my scrap bin
• Embossing folder “Snowflakes” from Darice
• Ink from Stampin Up!
• Label punch from Stampin Up!
• Paper lunch bag from my stash
• Tag dies from Creative Dies Plus
• Twine from my Stash
• WRMK Corner Muncher
• WRMK Hole Punch

This is a set of Any Occasion cards

Any Occasion Card supplies:

• Miscellaneous sentiments from a grab bag from Unity Stamp Co
• Archival ink from Rangers
• Banner punch form Stampin Up!
• Cardstock from The Paper Studio (base), Stampin Up, American Crafts and my scrap box
• Design paper from my Stash
• Embossing folder from Stampin Up!
• Tag corner punch from Stampin Up!
• Sheet load of cards December 2019

Matching Gift Bag & Tag

Matching Gift Bag & Tag supplies

• Sentiments “To/From” from a grab bag from Unity Stamp Co
• Card stock from The Paper Studio
• Design paper “Striking Stripes: from G.C.D. Studios
• Gross grain ribbon from my stash
• Ink from Stampin Up!
• Paper lunch bag from my stash
• Tag dies from Creative Dies Plus
• Twine from my Stash
• WRMK Corner Muncher
• WRMK Tag Hole Punch

I hope you have enjoyed these projects as much has enjoyed making them! Don’t forget to visit the other Unity gals' blogs below and comment on each one for a chance to win one of those two prize packs from Unity Stamp Company! Good Luck!

KellyParker

KimberlyKoblensky Boliver

Sandra vanBlaricum

Jho

Unity Stamp Company is a small family-owned business and although they ship world-wide, their high-quality rubber stamps are proudly made in the U.S.A. They even offer custom stamps! So, check out their store. You’ll be hooked if you aren’t already!

Here are links to the Unity Stamp Company Store and Social Media Sites!

Go check them out! You won’t be disappointed!

Unity Stamp Company, So much Pretty in one place!

Pinterest

Facebook: UNITY {show & tell}

Instagram

YouTube

Thanks be for thee!

But whether we have less or more,

Alway thank we God therefore...

~Author unknown, "Sir Cleges," a French metrical romance, or Fabliau, c. 1300s

Today a new Sunday Song & Rhyme Challenge has started at The Outlawz Challenges and will run through November 27, 2021

Our sponsor this month is: Makenna Kroulik with a prize of the two images used by the team.

We have a beautiful poem from Margaret this Challenge called Autumn Serenade. Lots of cues that could take you in any directions, but of course, Autumn was mine!

This is such a fun image and can be colored to go with any Season. For mine, I used Fall colors as I always seem to be short cards for Thanksgiving!

Autumn Serenade

Through the trees

Comes Autumn with her serenade

Melodies

The sweetest music ever played

Autumn kisses we knew

Are beautiful souvenirs

As I pause to recall

The leaves seem to fall like tears

Silver stars

Were clinging to an Autumn sky

Love was ours

Until October wandered by

Let the years come and go

I'll still feel the glow

That time cannot fade

When I hear

That lovely Autumn serenade

Love was ours

Until October wandered by

Let the years come and go

I'll still feel the glow

That time cannot fade

When I hear

That lovely Autumn serenade

Serenade

Serenade

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Sammy Gallop / Peter De Rose

Autumn Serenade lyrics © Sammy Gallop Music Company

Supplies used

• Image printed on Hammermill Color Copy
• Archival ink from Ranger
• Cardstock from Pen+Gear (Base) and Stampin Up!
• Embossing folder from Darice
• Gold gems from Close to My Heart
• ProMarkers
• Sentiment from Stampin Up!
• Sketch used: Seize the Sketch STS#22

Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to stop by The Outlawz Challenges for more challenges and Inspiration!

(Hugs) Cara

Hippity Hop ...

It is the hour to rend thy chains,

The blossom-time of souls...

~Katharine Lee Bates (1859–1929), "A Song of Waking"

Good morning!

Today I am sharing another card made from one of the many quirky images from Sherry West Designs! Please note that image is not yet in her shop so if you want to purchase it you may contact her via her ETSY Shop or message her on her Facebook Page, Sherry West Coloring. Links are below.

Isn’t this bunny cute? I love that it is holding an egg so big you can’t see his face!

Supplies

• Image from Sherry West Designs printed on Hammermill Color Copy Paper
• Design Paper from Colorbok & Cartabella
• Embossing folder from Darice
• Flowers from stash
• ProMarkers
• Rhinestones from Say it with Crystals
• Sketch used: Unknown, I found this on Pinterest. It was uploaded by Nutz about Stamping

Please visit Sherry’s shop and blog sites. We love to see what you're up to!

Sherry West Art, Artist, Author, Illustrator

Etsy Shop

Facebook: Sherry West Coloring

Instagram: SherryWestArt

Sherry West Art WordPress Blog site "Happy Art for A Happy Heart!"

Rubber stamps of Sherry West Art images available through Stamp Addicts

Stamp Addicts' FB page

Thanks for stopping by!
(Hugs) Cara

Beautiful Birthday

Birthdays! What music in the world! In these unresting times, when nothing intellectual, economic, social, political, seems stable; when customs and traditions hoary with age are mixed with explosive elements, this oldest of institutions is not in danger of yielding to destructive forces. ~J.R. Macduff, Birthdays, 1893

Hi All,

Like many crafters, I have a box of this and that items … those things I started working on and decided not to use or I was playing around wasting time or was an experiment. I’ve been trying to use the items in that box to create cards, scrap pages, gift boxes and such.

Today I am sharing one of the cards I made using a background I’d created using a die I have.

Supplies

Cardstock from The Paper Studios (Base) and Stampin up!

Prima Flower

Rangers Archival Ink

Sentiment Unity Stamps

Thanks for stopping by!

Cara

Another Guy Birthday ...

In childhood, we yearn to be grown-ups. In old age, we yearn to be kids. It just seems that all would be wonderful if we didn't have to celebrate our birthdays in chronological order. ~Robert Brault, rbrault.blogspot.com

Hi!

While cleaning off my craft table I actually found this card that I’d finished several months ago. I had originally made it for my son’s birthday but when I could not find it, I made a him a different one. (Yes it was that bad – don’t judge me).

I love the images from Unity Stamps because they are great for paper piecing, if you like to do that sort of thing (which I do!). And no matter the design paper I use they always turn out amazing looking!

For this card I stamped Brian Guy onto cream cardstock and die cut it out. Then I did a bit pf masking so I could use a brush and add the ink around the image to make it pop. One done, I stamped the image again onto my design paper, fussy cut everything out then paper pieced both the shirt and the jeans. Usually, I just do the shirt but I found a scrap of design paper in my scrap box that looks like denim and of course I was like ooooo jeans!

Supplies

• Banner punch from Stampin Up!
• Card candy from my stash
• Cardstock from Stampin Up!
• Design paper from Prima Marketing and my scrap stash
• Embossing folder from Spellbinders
• Image and sentiment from The Unity Stamp Company
• Ink from Close to My Heart and Ranger
• Stencil from Stampers Anonymous
• Twine from my stash

Thanks for stopping by!
Cara

CHALLENGES ENTERED

The Crafter's Cafe Challenge (entry 52)
#277, Anything goes

Love to Scrap Challenge Blog (entry 25)

LTSCB #151, Anything Goes

Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge Blog (entry (38)

#508, Anything goes using paper

Water Cooler Wednesday (entry 6)

WWC 328, Tristan;s Challenge, All about Occasions

QKR Stampede (entry 32)
#431, Anything Goes

Seize the Birthday (entry 11)
Challenge #226

Sunny Sunflowers ...

Colors of the summer sun illuminate the meadow. Gold, the massed gold of hawkweed; the burnished gold of black-eyed Susans; the delicate, demure gold of stargrass, cousin of the daffodil; and the sun's very rays captured by the field's wild sunflowers. ~Hal Borland, Seasons, 1973

Good morning!

Today I am sharing another card made from one of the many quirky images from Sherry West Designs! This image is available in her ETSY shop at https://www.etsy.com/listing/1073577318/sunny-sunflowers-flowers-fall-harvest?ef=shop_home_active_20

I’m just not a rose and orchid kinda gal … I love sunflowers and daisies! Wildflowers call to me so I am delighted with this vase of fat yellow sunflowers from Sherry West Art!

close up of the cute "bow" on the vase

Supplies

• Sunny Sunflowers from Sherry West Designs printed on Hammermill Color Copy Paper
• Cardstock from Pen+gear (Base), American Crafts and Stampin Up!
• Design Paper from Scrapbook Wizard
• Embossing folders from Close to My Heart and Stampin Up!
• ProMarkers
• Sentiment from Unity Stamp Company
• Sequins from my stash
• Sketch used: OWH #88

Please visit Sherry’s shop and blog sites. We love to see what you're up to!

Sherry West Art, Artist, Author, Illustrator

Etsy Shop

Facebook: Sherry West Coloring

Instagram: SherryWestArt

Sherry West Art WordPress Blog site "Happy Art for A Happy Heart!"

Rubber stamps of Sherry West Art images available through Stamp Addicts

Stamp Addicts' FB page

Thanks for stopping by!
(Hugs) Cara

CHALLENGES ENTERED

Shopping our Stash Weekly Challenge (entry 24)

#457, You don't bring me flowers

Arty Divas (entry 32)
October Challenge 2021

Classic Design Challenge (entry 48)

November #11

Crafty Sentiments Challenge (entry 19)

Anything Goes

Pammies Inky Pinkies Challenges (entry 20)

PIPP Challenge #2144 Anything Goes

The Crafters Cafe Challenge (entry 45)

#277, Anything Goes

Unimpressed Cactus

Hark! Hark to the wind! ’T is the night, they say,

When all souls come back from the far away—

The dead, forgotten this many a day!

~Virna Sheard (1862–1943), "Hallowe’en," c.1910

Hi!

My card was chosen as a top pick for the September Mirtillamente Challenge and today I have the pleasure of being a Special Guest DT for the November Challenge which runs from the 1st to the 27th of the month so you have lots of time to play along! They really have only one rule which is you have to post to one of your social media sites like blogger or Instagram, for example.

So, when I won, I was allowed to pick an image from the Mirtillamente Store. It was a tough job but I settled on this fun guy “What Pumpkin” which cracks me up everytime I see it! Why you ask? Because I live in Arizona and well, cactus abound and people decorate them for the Holidays! Sometimes it works out - sometimes not so much! So of course, I had to have him! 

This card will be part of the November Challenge you can find HERE

Supplies

• Image “What Pumpkin” printed on Hammermill Color Copy
• Archival ink from Ranger
• Artista Gold gel pen
• Background paper for tag was made using a alcohol & ink process
• Banner dies from Lawn Fawn
• Cardstock from Pen+Gear (base)
• Design Paper from Stampin Up and Paper Pizzazz
• Prima Flowers
• ProMarkers
• Rhinestones from my Stash
• Sentiment from Martha Stewart
• Tag die from Creative Dies Plus
• Based on this sketch from Scrapbook&cards.com Winter 2016

Thanks for stopping by!
Cara

CHALLENGES ENTERED

A Perfect Time to Craft, Anthing goes November #11-2021 (Entry 21)

Crafty Sentiments, Anything goes (Entry 73)

Love to Scrap LTSCB #151, Anything Goes (Entry 6)

613 Avenue Create #11, Anything Goes (Entry 335)

Classic Design Challenge #11, Anything Goes (Entry 21)