03-26-23

 Hello-

Its a warm day outside and hubs and I will shortly be going for a drive to enjoy it.  But first I wanted to share a card for a sweet young lady.

Thank you Darnell for the stamp set...its perfect for a young gal who likes fairies.  I winked the wings though it doesn't show up in the photo. 

This sweet little fairy will be visiting Seize the Birthday with toppings of in the garden, and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Spring or Easter. 

Enjoy your day!

 

 

The card concept and Freshly made sketches

Now that I am back from my get away in CA, and have had almost a week to settle in it is time to play in some challenges and take a break from the Easter Cards.

I am combining The Card Concept's Purple Haze ( I was inspired by the color purple) with this week's Freshly Made Sketches-sketch for a clean and simple card.

Three more birthday cards to go this month!

Thanks so very much for stopping by, your time is appreciated - especially if you choose to leave a comment. Enjoy your day!

 

Markers -Copic V01,04,05,06,09
Ink-Memento Tuxedo Black, WP9 Bloomsberry, HA Passionflower, SSS Hot Mama
Sequins - Clear colored with V06 Copic
Stamps - Tulips - W&W, Sentiment - IO, Scallops - SU

Happy Birthday Greta

For my bloggy friend Greta, she loves pink.  I picked up a couple of Stampin Up sets from the Sale-A-Bration catalog.  I generally save up my wish list for the annual buy and get sale.  I used stamps from both of the sets.  The flower comes from Avant Garden, and the bit of embossed lace comes from Delicate Details.  I am really crushing on the lace strip. It is a photopolymer stamp, so it can be aligned to more than just a straight line.  I love that it looks like a bit of lace under my main image panel.

I was in a rush to mail this, days had snuck up on me...the photography suffered.  Hope you had a fabulous birthday Greta!

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Fall Birthdays

Two recent birthday cards mailed out.  I have 5 November birthdays, and 5 December birthdays to make cards for...and the Christmas cards aren't done...now that is crafting (job) security!

No matter who it is you are choosing, please remember to vote today!
Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Birthday

Hi Crafters!

This card is going to a blogging friend.  I am fairly sure she likes flowers -- because she makes gorgeous flower cards. Check out her blog here.

I had piles of ink pads all over my desk in completing this card.  The multi stamped flowers are often difficult for me to line up, but I have decided -- they don't need to be perfect!  And, some actually are made NOT to line up perfectly.

So on to the card:

Happy Birthday Betty!  I hope you have a fabulous day spent with those you enjoy and I hope the year to come provides you with fabulous adventures.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies:
Stamps-Wplus9 Free Hand Florals & dies,   SFJ- Honeycomb, PTI Happy Birthday
Inks - Hero Arts ( Pool,  Green Hills, Green Leaf, Soft Vanilla, old passion flower, Raspberry Jam, Bubble gum)  Simon Says Stamp (Sunshine, Orange Peel, Fog) Versamark
Wow -Silver Pearl Embossing Powder
Heavy Vellum - Stampin Up
DCWV - Glitter paper
PPP clear 4 mm sequins
Die- MFT Crossstitched rectangles

Just for You

Hello!
On of the ladies I craft with on Tuesday, has a birthday today.  Of course I had to make her a card.
I stamped the sentiment on vellum and then fussy cut it out to layer it on top of the stamped images.

Supplies:
Wplus9 Free Hand Florals
Inks - Hero Arts ( Pool, Soft Pool, Green Hills, Green Leaf, Soft Vanilla, old passion flower, Raspberry Jam, Bubble gum)  Simon Says Stamp (Sunshine) Versamark
Hero Arts Gold Embossing Powder
Heavy Vellum - Stampin Up
Heidi Swap Color Shine - Gold

Happy Birthday

Hi there.  Today I have a card for my longest known friend...we first met when I moved to California when I was 13, we met in crafts class.  Forty-three years later we are still the best of friends.  We have that friendship that never feels the lapses of time, we talk on the phone weekly...more if something comes up that we just have to talk about.  I can call her and say....I just have to say this out loud...spill it and then we hang up.  She is my sister, but not the one you bicker with...the one who has your back and whose back you have. The one who is your biggest fan, and you are hers.

She loves pink, so I do my best to incorporate it into her special card each year.

And I have a second funny card for her, we never ever give each other just one card!

So Dear Evelyn - Have a fabulous birthday!  I am looking forward to time together on my next visit to California.

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:
Wplus9 Fresh Cut Containers
Distress Markers
PTI - Happy Birthday
Pretty Pink Posh Twine Die
MFT Arches stax

Birthday Wishes

 Some relaxing coloring, and sentiment treatment done a la Kelly Latevola. I love the way she outlines in white gel pen the overlapping sentiment on a one layer card.  Check our her beautiful coloring here.

This birthday card is for Greta, she has been getting a lot of cards from me lately.

The flowers are from Stampendous, the greeting from CTMH. Copic markers, a bit of bling and a colored base.  Hope you had a fabulous day Greta!

Thanks for stopping by!

I needed a deadline

I have been a bit mojo-less the last few weeks. I had my Halloween cards made early and didn't post them until after they'd been mailed and received.  So for two weeks I haven't done much.  I have had a few crafty get togethers, but I am not getting cards done.  I've got stuff started...but nothing finished.

Today while checking in on Facebook, I found I had forgotten a birthday (so not like me) and the man I worked for before retiring recently had surgery and I thought a card might cheer him up.  I am a night owl and consequently my days rarely get going until after noontime.  After I had made lunch for hubs and I, I had about 3 hours to get the cards made and into the mail.

For the first card, I used the Mojo Monday Sketch #422 and it fit perfectly with the theme from Cardz for Guyz Challenge # 95 Hope you feel better soon .

 

The tall wheat stamp is from Hero arts, the feel better is from Close to my Heart.  The pale woodgrain papers are a gift from blogging friend Michele (thank you!!). The sentiment is heat embossed on vellum and layed on top of a same sized circle of the wood grain. They as well as the grasses panel are popped up with dimensionals.




Next up the Belated Birthday Card:

I love this set by mama elephant, its called unforgettable.  The sentiment reads "you are absolutely unforgettable, it's your birthday that's hard to remember". Well thanks to my faulty memory, I was able to use it for the perfect card.  The image was colored with copics.  The little party had was masked and the balloon is popped up and glittered with some wos. Some enamel dots and a little enamel heart and this one was done.

Thanks for stopping by!

Two Birthdays

Hi, it is good to be back with Hubs, and my crafty space.  I miss my dad and the furry boys...if only that teleportation thing were real!

While in California I did a bit of online shopping making sure all would arrive before I did.

One of my purchases was the MFT die set Jumbo Peek-a-boo Circles.  I think this is a fantastic set, especially for some of those smaller images.

So on to the cards:

For hubs, it's either trains or nature...This bird is from Stampin Up, the sentiment from Simon Says Stamp.

And there is something appropriately sweet and mushy inside. 


Next, for our niece who loves her kitty Scout.  I colored Newton from Newtons Nook below to look like Scout down to his orange nose.  I also used a sentiment from Simon Says Stamp, and dies from Lawn Fawn and Pretty Pink Posh (isn't that bow sweet?)

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Birthday Flowers

This is my last week visiting my Dad.  I have three cards this week, all of them colored using Copic's.  During July I somehow found Kelly Latevola's blog...wow her colored images are
F A B U L O U S.  I am a lover of bright colors and she showcases them so well. I have been a follower ever since and never miss an opportunity to see her creations; and her You Tube videos are not to be passed by.

I was inspired to stop playing with my watercolors and pick up the Copics.  I liked the shadowing Kelly does but it will probably be quite a while before I get that flicking stroke down.  For the mean time, I am quite happy with my three colored cards this week.   So take a peek, and come back twice more to see them all! ;-)

 The flowers are from Magenta, the sentiment is from WPlus9 and it has so many choices it is a must have set.  I love this option of something different than Happy Birthday!

Thanks for stopping!

A little birthday piggy

A long time friend of mine collects pigs. So, you know I have to send her a pig card right?  Just like my friends always send me cats.

I have had this Simon Says stamp set for almost a year, and have made two cards with it.  The snarky sentiments make me laugh...but I wouldn't want to hurt someone's feelings by sending it to them on a birthday card.  So, one more card and I will likely sell the set to make room for another.  But on to the card...

I have a bunch of kraft tags left from a project and I liked the idea of colored pencils on kraft so I went with it.

I had to add the googlie eyes, they make me laugh...too many sequins?..HOW? its a Birthday Card! It's meant to be celebratory and completely over the top. I wish I had put just a bit more color under the balloon before covering it with glossy accents. I am sure Lorie will laugh when she opens it, and I'll get a wonderful hug when I see her during my California trip in September.

Thanks for stopping!

Supplies:
Stamps - Simon Says Stamp
Die & Sequins - Pretty Pink Posh
Embossing Folder - Stampin Up

Tag Birthday

I sent this card to a blogger who makes the most wonderful tags and tag cards, check out her blog.  She has been a kind visitor to my blog over the past few years and I just wanted to send her a tag card.  She has inspired me over the years.

Supplies: Stamp - Mama Elephant, Ellen Hutson- Wild Garden,  Distress inks, Tags-PTI, white hemp cord, We are Memory Keepers printed acetate and Sequins by Pretty Pink Posh.

Watercolor Birthday

I have a friend, my scrapping bestie who loves Paris, so each year I try to include the Eiffel Tower on her birthday card.   This is the 2015 version.

Supplies:

MFT Eiffel Tower Die

Black Fun Foam

Distress Inks – Faded Lipstick, Crushed Olive, Tumbled Glass, Scattered Straw

Versamark – Onyx Black

Simon Says Stamp – Its your Birthday

WPLUS9 Fresh cut containers stamp set

Butterfly Birthday

While I was out shopping one day, I saw a gift bag and thought it might be a great card design.  I could have used flowers, but decided on butterflies instead.  It took a couple of hours to stamp, mask, color, retrace, fussy cut, line in black marker and put the card together.  SO totally worth the time~!

 

Here is the close up of the wink of stella, these butterflies are so pretty in the light. 

And lastly, here is my inspiration:

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:

Hero Arts – Butter and Flower Stamp Set

Simon Says Stamp Happy and Smile Stamp Set

Memento Tuxedo Black Ink, Versa Fine Onyx Black Ink

Michaels 110 lb White Cardstock, Black scrap

Copic Markers (B00, BG05, BG45, RV13, RV17, RV19, B21, B24, B28, BV08)

Signo white gel pen, Copic multi liner, Copic brush pen, Wink of Stella

Inky Paws - Birthday Theme

I am in need of birthday cards, so I was happy to see the latest inky paws challenge at Newton's Nook is a Birthday theme.  I was inspired by the pinks and yellows in the inspiration photo below.

Smaller images always confound me on A2 sized cards...so I make a smaller stage for them.  The misty really helped on the sentiment placement here. I wanted it to run off the die cut circle, but did not want to stamp it twice and try to get the die cut glued down in just the right place.  The misty allowed me to stamp it a couple of times with versifine ink and its perfectly set on both the card base and the die. I used two sets from Newtons - Simply Sentimental, and Basket of Wishes, coloring was done with the Zig real color brush pens. The small bow is from Memory Box,a nd the papers are Stampin Up.



Thanks for stopping by!

My favorite colors at The Card Concept

The Card Concept Challenge #38 has my favorite colors, so I absolutely had to play. Its not quite clean and layered, but that's what I am going to call it. 

I don't think I have ever combined a Hero Arts stamp with a Paper Smooches sentiment, but I love how this happy birthday looks with the etched daisy. The gray panel is white embossed and a bit of yellow embossing as well.  The background is simply stamped with Soft Granite HA ink.  I couldn't resist the polka dot ribbon from AC, to continue the whimsy feel of the card.

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Birthday Friend

My stash of birthday cards is running low, and I have quite a few birthday's coming up.  Sunday, I was able to play again in a Hero Arts Scramble - the theme was embossing.  One of my top 2 favorite things in card making.  I also needed to get back into a few challenges after visiting my Dad for a couple of weeks.  I had made cards ahead, but nothing while visiting. It takes me a bit of time to get back into the groove!

I also seem to be using a lot of vellum overlay's...may be that is springs influence...softening things up.

Supplies: Hero arts Stencil and Stamps, Goldens Modeling Paste, Distress Inks, Silver Thread, Vellum, Lawn Fawn Die, EH Ribbon, Wow EP.

I am entering this to Seize the birthday, anything goes.

A long time coming

I have had this card in my head for quite a while.  It is inspired by the view out my window at sunset. I finally managed to snap a picture one March evening.  Then the hunt for the perfect stamp began.  I found  Tree Line by Stampendous and I thought it fit the idea.   My first attempt at this was not an overwhelming success. I had water colored the background, and the stamp is just too detailed for watercolor paper.

A couple more tries using dye inks and sponging, and distress inks...gave me beautiful backgrounds, but the stamping...yikes.

I decided to give it one more try, and that Misti really made the difference.  I stamped the treeline several times using Ranger Archival black ink.  Those trees needed to be really dark and solid to contrast with the sky.  I used distress inks in Worn Lipstick, Milled Lavender, and Spiced Marmalade to create my sunset.

It makes me happy when the idea in my head actually looks like the card in my hand!

I am back from California and had a wonderful time visiting my Dad. Its always a bit emotional when it comes time to leave, and this time was no exception. I miss my Dad, and am glad we talk, text and face time to keep in touch as well as play in the same poker league on line.

Jack and Digger are cute as ever, and have grown to be quite good hunters...I fear for the bird population; and the lizards...so many I saw scrambling around were missing tails...My Dad rescues them and puts them back outdoors when the cats bring them in. Here are recent pictures of the boys, while not siblings, they are very close in age...a matter of maybe a week. They are the best of pals.

Digger

Jack

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Friends

My bestie is having a birthday this month. I started with the frienship background embossed with clear powder on vellum.  It is a great texture, and only in a certian light fall can the words be seen...kinda like a secret message.  

My next task was to prepare a watercolor background for under the vellum piece.  I used the Koi watercolors with a mix of blues and purple.  While that dried, I die-cut the Memory Box Vignette Floral Branch and colored it with copic markers.  I did not pull the die-cut apart to color it. Since it is so delicate I left it within the sheet and only separated it once it was colored.

My bestie's favorite color is pink, so I took a bold pink card base and began layering my elements.  The contrasting light pink mat, the darker pink base, watercolor piece, the vellum, and the die cut - now adorned with some wink of stella shine.  I colored a few pearls the various pinks in the flower and placed those as flower centers.  I also took some natural color pearls and scattered them along the card.   My last bit was to wrap some pink chevron ribbon around the card as an anchor for the branch.  I love how girly and delicate this turned out.  I think she will love it too! Happy Birthday dear Evelyn!

Close up to show clear embossing

Thanks so much for stopping by!