01-10-23

 Hello-

Peggy sent me some more die cuts, actually they were in the same envie as the fence silhouettes.  All were cut in white and color was added via copics and patterned papers from Stampin Up and a bit of silver glitter scraps.  The sentiments are from The Greetery along with the die for cutting fun shapes.

My card is visiting Cupcake inspirations, where the theme is winter fun.

I made a couple more as well.

Thanks so much for visiting.

A Mash Up

A while back I was quite taken with this card by Michele Ferguson.  I told her so, and that I would likely case it before the year was out. Well I did, but I had to add some color to it.  I was also taken with Jennifer McGuire's Faux Textured Metal Post.  So this is a mash up of the two.

I made two cards, one is going to Michele and the other to my MIL.  Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies: Darice Embossing Folder(Thanks again Greta!), Perfect Pearls, Lawn fawn Dies, Distress Inks.

A little crafty time

I found a regular group of crafty women to meet up with earlier during the summer.  We meet most weeks and work on projects.  This last week I made these cards:

My misty came in very handy for this project.  I used WPlus9's Pretty Peonys and the sentiment comes from PTI- Big Hugs.  The die cut frame is from MFT. The front panel and the flowered panel are both attached on fun foam, the frame is flat mounted to the card base.  I used watercolor paper and mounted it all on a Wplus9 oatmeal card base. Small SU pearls were colored with coordinating copic markers.  Inks were Distress for the water coloring, and Versafine for the black and gray sentiments.

The last one is my favorite, which one do you prefer?  Thanks for stopping by.

Hello new challenge

I am participating in a new to me challenge -- Share Joy Challenge. Darnell introduced this challenge to me through a recent blog post. The unique part of this challenge is that the participants are encouraged to not only make a card, but also to give it or mail it out!

Challenge #5 is a color and/or sketch challenge:


I decided to go with both more or less!

For the coloring I used the Clean Color Real Brush tip markers on bristol paper.  My stamp set is the first Taylored Expressions set I ever bought. It is called Love Grows Here.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Muse 124

I loved Ardyth's whimsical flowery card for this week's Muse.  Those glittery yellow centers, and the blue sky were my inspiration.

I started with a Kraft 4-bar sized card.  I've been playing with Clearly Besotted's new Miniature Florals stamp set.  It has all those wonderful CB flowers in small size.  LOVE!

I chose to color with Prismacolor pencils, I added some yellow wink of stella and a bit of glossy accents to highlight those yellow centers, and provide a bit of tactile interest. Don't ya just love how some cards feel?  A bit more glitz in the glitter strip below the sentiment.  The sentiment comes from Simon Says Stamp artful flowers set.  This was a fun card to create, I don't think I have done much coloring on Kraft...I might have to revisit this, soon.




Thanks for stopping by!

Thinking of you

I recently purchased Clearly Besotted's Miniature Florals. I love these sweet images. They are SMALL.  So when I saw the sketch for Cas(e) this sketch #132, this card immediately came to mind.

 

The image is stamped and embossed in Ranger's Liquid Platinum embossing powder. The sentiment is layered via vellum and the sentiment comes from Simon Says Stamp - Sketchy Banner Greetings. Coloring was done with Zig Clean Color Real Brush pens and lots of water on a paint brush.

Thanks for stopping by!

Thinking of you in Purple

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:

poppy patch by spellbinders, rounded squared lifestyle crafts, zig real color brush pens, SSS thinking of you, EH/PPP flat clear sequins

June CCC Thinking of You

Now that I have a few weeks without travel ahead of me I can participate in the Card Chain Challenge put together by Deborah Nolan.  It is fun to send off a hand made card and to get one in return. You can sign up for the July chain here.

I decided to use the colors and the sketch very loosely.  My card is going to the fabulous Becca of The Damsel of Distress, and I want to make a card she will hopefully enjoy.  My two favorite things are embossing and water colors.

I prepared a water color panel, after it dried I added some embossing paste leaves.  While those were drying I water colored some flowers, and also heat embossed some flowers on vellum as well as the sentiment. Once everything was dry, I cut the panel down adhered the flowers and sentiment. Added some flicks of gold, some black liquid pearl and added it all to a coordinated base card.

Supplies: Canson Water Color Paper, Liquid Pearls, Heidi Swap Color, Goldens Molding Paste, Kuretake watercolors, Gourment Rubber Stamps Stencil, Simon Says Stamp Artful Flowers, Vellum, SU Cardstock.

Muse 121

Oh this card by Michele for the Muse Challenge #121 is just gorgeous.  I unabashedly CASED it with supplies I had on hand that I felt gave a very vigorous nod to her card, if not an all out SHOUT!

Here is my version:

I started with some modeling paste and the Tim Holtz woodgrain stencil, once the paste was on I added Rock Candy dry glitter.

While that  dried, I cut three Simon Says Stamp Leaf Columns from water color paper, using distress inks in mowed lawn and shabby shutters, I randomly and roughly colored them.  I found 6 sequins that were larger, 3 very light silvery blue and 3 navy just a bit smaller, stacked them and added a touch of true blue Stickles to the centers then a dollop of glossy accents on top. I wanted shiny dimension.

Lastly I die cut Simon Says Stamp Friends die (chopping off the s) and heat embossed a sentiment from  Simon's Friendship Messages onto the same blue scrap of cardstock.

Michele's Card for Muse #121

There is still time to play, click on the link above or on the caption below Michele's card to go to the Muse Challenge Page.

Thanks for stopping by!

Case this Sketch 126

I loved this challenge at Case this Sketch and had to play along.

 

I absolutely also love this die set by  Essentials by Ellen - Bold Blooms, and this Sentiment set by Simon Says Stamp -Friendship Messages so all my loves are going on this card...including my favorite colors yellow and gray.

Thanks for stopping by!

Date Night

Another card for Hubs, sure am missing him while in California.

Supplies: Mama Elephant - Purrfect Pair Stamp
              Copic Markers, VersaMark Ink, Memento Ink
               Darice - Kissing Lips Embossing Folder

Hello Friend

I took out the my new Distress Markers in Fossilized Amber and Abandoned Coral along with old favorites Vintage Photo and Forest Moss and had some fun playing with new to me WPlus9's Fresh Cut Containers.

I stamped the distress inks, then played with a 0 round tipped brush and just a tiny bit of water.  Where ever I wanted more color, I used the marker direct to paper.  The sentiment comes from Simon Says Stamp's Friendship messages, it has a perfect font for watercolor cards.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Quick Note

I was definitely inspired by Jennifer McGuire's cards from this post, for the design of my card.  I really liked the concentric circles and the multi levels around the main image.

I have had this WPlus9 Pretty Peonies set for quite a while, and  I am always second guessing my results.  This time, I had some fun with the set.  I used water color paper, and distress inks for the color.  I first stamped the third image of the three step flower, you can see in the picture the darkest areas.  Next I used a very small brush with water to move some of that color around. 

The biggest help though was to take the stamp that covered the most area, and dip it in water and then stamp over the details with the wet stamp.  Then I moved the water colors around a bit more.  After letting it dry, I again stamped the details with full strength distress ink and barely touched those new inked bits with a damp brush.  I am so glad I was finally able to make some peonies that look lush!

I completely skipped the second layer stamp--only because this was a water color.  When stamping with dye or pigment inks, I would use all three layers. You'll probably see a lot more of these water color peonies from me, now that I have a handle on using them.

After coloring the peonies, I cut two circles at the same time from the water color piece.  The small frame circle, I water colored with the same distress ink as the flowers, and mounted it flush to the card base. The center and outer water color paper were mounted with foam tape. The sentiment is from Simon Says Stamp Friendship sayings.  A few enamel dots and the vellum sentiment strip finished this card.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Hedgies

I just love Lawn Fawn's Hedgehugs stamp set. It is just adorable.  Of course Hubs will be the first recipient of a card made with these cuties. I made the card before I left for California to visit my Dad.

Supplies:
Lawn Fawn - Hedgehugs Stamps, Black Licorice Ink
Neenah - 110lb white index card
Copic Markers. Stampin Up Ribbon
Pretty Pink Posh - Stitched Duo One
Hero Arts - Envelope Pattern Background, Soft Sand Ink
Distress Inks - Mowed Lawn, Broken China

Dreaming of you

While I am visiting my Dad in California, I often make a few cards ahead to send to hubs while we are apart.

Supplies:
Darice-Pawprints Background Embossing Folder
SSS-Pillow Talk Stamp set
Ink-Versafine Onyx Black, Memento Tuxedo Black, Prismacolor Pencils, Gamsol
Papers - Neenah white index 110 lb, Stampin Up

Muse Challenge 117

Here is my last "live" card for this month. I am heading to California to visit my Day and won't be back until the end of the month.  I have prepared blog posts for the interim, so please keep stopping by!

I was quite taken with Michele's Muse card...so elegant yet easily masculine with its clean lines.

 

I grabbed Simon Says Stamp Square saying stamp set and matching die and crafted.  I also grabbed the Wishing die, SSS Lipstick Red ink and some Ranger Platinum embossing powder along with Versamark.  This card will be in hubs' mailbox the day I head out to California.

I placed that last square outside the frame for emphasis...its not in the right place...as hubs isn't nearby.

I will be visiting your blogs as time permits. Thanks for stopping by!

Mother's Day

I have had these memory box window, shutter and flower box dies almost since I began card making in 2011 and I have never used them.   I wanted to make a special card for my MIL --- She is an absolutely gem. She is kind, loving and one of the nicest people you will ever meet.

So, I finally got them out and began to put her card together.  She loves pink.   The flowers are Sticker Trendz  border stickers. I cut them apart to fit my flower box.  The window is three layers thick, with two layers of vellum sandwiched between the three layers.  One layer of vellum (lower most is colored blue with Copics.)

The shutters and the window box are also three layers thick so they are sturdy.  My card front panel is dry embossed with a Tim Holtz/Sizzix brick embossing folder then lightly inked with antique linen distress ink.

The entire front panel is mounted with fun foam onto a white card base.  I decided to leave the front sentiment free.

Thanks for stopping by...and Happy Mother's Day all of you who take care of others in one way or another.

Wplus9 Sketch Challenge

I saw this new challenge today.  I took a few liberties with the sketch, but I think you can still see it in my creation.

I used WPlus9's Pretty Peonies for my main focal image.

 

The challenge is open until May 29th, give it a try! Just click on the challenge graphic for a link to the challenge page.

Other Supplies: 

Inks - Hero Arts and Versafine,  Embossing Folder - SU,  

Sequins - Pretty Pink Posh and Simon Says Stamp, Die - Pretty Pink Posh

Cardstock - SU and Neenah

Thanks for stopping by!

Create a background

I am joining in the Lawnscaping challenge once again.  The current challenge #98 is to create a background. 

I used the first Lawn Fawn stamp set I owned for the sentiment, and another favorite for the background.  I heat embossed in white the sunflowers on watercolor paper, then I added in color.  Once the panel was dry I trimmed it to fit an A2 card base.

For the sentiment, I cut a notebook paper shape, and added the sentiment, inked it with some distress ink and then embellished it with another sunflower and two leaves.  I added glossy accents and Wink of Stella to the embellishing flower and leaves.

You can click on the link above or the graphic below to be taken to the Lawnscaping challenge.

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:
Water Color Paper - Canson
Water colors - Koi
Inks - Versamark, Hero Arts Cup O Joe, Distress Ink Wild Honey, Wink of Stella Clear
Stamps - Lawn Fawn - Hello Friend, Our Friendship Grows
Die - PTI - Spiral Notebook Page
Cardstock - Stampin Up - Whisper White, So Saffron
Glossy Accents, Stampin Up Dimensionals

What's New Pussycat?

Another late night card making session.  I wanted to get a card in for the Muse Challenge #100, and before it is too late and Monday is here again, I decided to make one tonight...or this morning...if I haven't been to bed yet, it is still night regardless of the technicality of the actual clock and calendar.

Above is our Muse card from Michele Ferguson, in addition to her lovely card, she has used a song as inspiration. 

I have decided  to use a song as well...

I took inspiration from Michele's cut out and smaller interior piece for my card. 

I cut the tag, then cut out the sentiment bubble on the back side so its pointing in the right direction.  Then I went to my computer and typed out the sentiment. I printed it on printer paper first. I used the tag to assure placement of the sentiment by centering the sentiment in the middle of the opening, then taping down the die cut piece over the open space on top of the printed sentiment. Once this was done I reprinted the sentiment on the same sheet of paper - this time it printed onto the die cut.

I masked off my kitty, and inked up the tag face. Then I colored the kitty with colored pencils and gamsol.
The tag is attached with foam tape, and I placed the sentiment bubble flat on to the card base inside the cutout.

I think this card will brighten up my niece's day in the middle of a cold wet winter.

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:
Cardstock - Strathmore Bristol, A Muse Cardstock
Colored Pencils - Artist's Loft (and Inky Antic's Gamsol)
Ink - Distress Inks - Mowed Lawn and Salty Ocean,Memento - Tuxedo Black
Stamps - Newton's Nook - Newton's Antics
Dies - Lawn Fawn Stitched Party Banners, Hero Arts Phrase Bubble