New Baby in the Family

My nephew's wife just had a baby girl. I used a very old stamp from SU but it still is one of my favorites :-)

Supplies:

Stamps: Crayon Fun (SU), Handwritten Notes (SSS)

Paper: White, Regal Rose (SU)

Ink: Regal Rose (SU), Versafine Onyx Black

Other: Bakers twine, dimensionals

No Stamp Christmas Card

I am way behind on my Christmas cards this year. This one came together pretty quickly because there is no stamping on it. The hardest part was picking the little pieces out of the sentiment after die cutting :-)






Merry Christmas is cut out of some red glitter paper that I got from SU years ago. I think it makes the sentiment a pretty, sparkly focus. Finally, I popped up the holly on dimensionals.

That's it. Pretty easy.  Have a great Saturday!!



SUPPLIES:
Stamps: None
Paper: White, Holiday Plaid DSP (PTI), Handsome Hunter, Real Red, Red Glitter paper (SU)
Ink: None
Other: Wet Paint Holiday dies, Holly Jolly die, In the Meadow die collection (PTI)

Final Card Concept Challenge of 2015

Wow! Christmas will soon be here.  Today we have the last Card Concept Challenge of 2015. The inspiration photo is a color combo but you can also be inspired by the snowflakes if you like.

I chose to go with both the colors and the snowflakes for my Clean & Simple card.  I die cut 2 snowflakes and layered them then added a piece of twine. Next I cut a a piece of vanilla using a Fishtail Flag die then ran it through my Big Shot again and cut the opposite end to get a double ended tag for my sentiment.

The base cardstock of Night of Navy looked a bit spare so I spritzed Glimmer Mist on to give it some sparkle. This looks cool (though hard to photograph) but it also warped my cardstock. I guess I'll be pressing the card under a book :-)  Another thing which you can't really see in the photo is that I added Wink of Stella to the snowflakes so they also shimmer. Very pretty IRL!

I hope that you will visit the rest of the design team to see what they came up with. I'm looking forward to seeing all your creations!

Merry Christmas! See you in January!


SUPPLIES:
Stamps: Keep It Simple: Christmas (PTI)
Paper: Night of Navy, Very Vanilla (SU)
Ink: Enchanted Evening (PTI)
Other: Eliza and Kate snowflake dies (SSS), Fishtail Flag Stax die (MFT), Wink of Stella Glitter pen clear, Glimmer Mist (Tattered Angels), twine

Card Concept Challenge #44

Hi everyone! We are moving into the holiday season with our inspiration photo for this challenge. Can't you just smell the cinnamon sticks and hot apple cider on the stove.

For my card I wanted to try a new (to me) technique using foil on the card.  I got some Sticky Embossing Powder, Versamark & foil and tried several times to get this technique to work and failed each time. Finally I resorted to using good ole gold embossing powder on the star. I think that since I was trying to emboss on white card stock I must have heat it too long. Have any of you had luck using Sticky Embossing Powder with your stamps? I'd love to hear about it.

My card is Clean & Simple. You can read about the styles here. The tree is stamped on a white tag.  I really liked the plaid chair in the photo and so I cut a second tag from a piece of plaid paper and placed it behind the tree. This is popped up on dimensionals. Finally the sentiment was added and that is that.

I hope you will join us for this challenge. I look forward to seeing what you all come up with! And don't forget to check out the rest of the design team!!


SUPPLIES:
Stamps: O' Tannenbaum, Keep It Simple: Christmas (Papertrey)
Paper: White, Holiday Plaid pattern paper (Papertey)
Ink: Smokey Shadow, Classic Kraft, Ripe Avocado, Pure Poppy (Papertrey), Versamark
Other: Tag Sale #5 die (Papertrey), Gold embossing powder, May Arts twine, foam dimensionals

Celebrate!

My son-in-law successfully defended his doctoral thesis last Friday and earned his PhD. Yay Brian!  This card went out in the mail today. Vickie - no peeking!!


He is a big lover lover of silver and black so of course I had to use those colors on his card.

All the extra doo dads are embossed in silver. I rubbed my embossing buddy over the black paper but there still is residue on the paper. Rats!

I die cut the celebrate 3 times in black and one time in silver and glued them all together before adhering to the card. This gives the sentiment a bit of dimension. The black panel was layered on silver paper, then white.


Thanks for stopping by today!

SUPPLIES:
Stamps: Good Times (PTI)
Paper: White, silver and black
Ink: Versamark
Other: Silver embossing powder, Good Times die (PTI), 2 way glue pen

Color Challenge 43

Wow! Time just flies by this time of year.  We have another Card Concept Challenge for your today. The inspiration photo has some soft colors of beige, yellows, golds and if you look closely even blue.

My card is in the Clean & Simple style which is defined here. I wanted to get an apple into my card but that just didn't work out for me so I stuck with the colors. I started with More Mustard Along the bottom and then some Crushed Curry above that. They are a bit close in color so hard to distinguish a change. The next color up is Bordering Blue.

 I die cut the thanks in both More Mustard and Chocolate Chip and layered them slightly offset.  I placed this right along the intersection of the blue and yellow inks.

Lastly I stamped a few twinkles going up the card in the 3 colors and added some shine with my Stardust Gelly Roll pen and popped the panel up on foam tape.

I hope that you will check out the cards of the rest of the Design Team and then join in with our challenge!!  Have a great day!

SUPPLIES:
Stamps: Good Times (PTI)
Paper: White (PTI); More Mustard, Chocolate Chip (SU)
Ink: More Mustard, Crushed Curry, Bordering Blue (SU)
Other: Thanks On a Line die (SSS); Stardust Gelly Roll pen; foam tape; glue pen

Thinking of You

A lady in my Bible study group had ear surgery so I made a card for us all to sign and send to her. I had to take the picture quickly with my phone so it doesn't look quite as good as I hope that it did in real life.

The flowers and sentiment are stamped in black on Apricot Appeal cardstock. I try to like this color but it really doesn't quite do it for me. I just didn't have time to redo it in another color. I then spritzed the card with Crumb Cake. I should have grabbed some enamel dots too but you guessed it. I didn't have time :-)  I hope that she likes it. 

I'm also adding this card to Jennifer McGuire's Share Handmade Kindness challenge.

SUPPLIES:
Stamps: Peaceful Wildflowers (MFT)
Paper: White (PTI), Apricot Appeal (SU)
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black; Crumb Cake marker (SU)
Other: Spritzer tool (SU), dimensionals

Card Concept Challenge #42

Hi Everyone!  Time has flown by and we have another Card Concept Challenge for you.  This time we have a color challenge. Of course you can use the beautiful photo as inspiration too.

I used the colors to create my Clean & Simple holiday card.

I die cut the Pine Border Outline die from Scarlet Jewel Bitty Dots paper and also Early Espresso paper. I also cut it out of the vanilla paper so that the trees would be inset.  To keep the tree pieces in place I glued a scrap piece of paper on the backside of the panel. It was a bit tricky getting all the little pieces put back in but I really like the final result and I think by insetting the trees I keep that CAS look. 

Lastly I layered a thin strip of Baroque Burgundy along the bottom, added the sentiment and wrapped the pink twine around. This whole panel is popped up on dimensionals on the base card. 

Check out the rest of the Design Team's cards and get to work on the challenge. We love to see all your work!!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

SUPPLIES:

Stamps: Think Big Favorites #8 (PTI)

Paper: Very Vanilla, Early Espresso (SU); Scarlet Jewell Bitty Dots Basics (PTI)

Ink: Early Espresso (SU)

Other: Pine Border Outline Die (Memory Box); pink twine (American Crafts); dimensionals (Recollections); Embellie Gellie Pick Up Tool (Scraperfect)

Card Concept Challenge #41

Hi! I'm back today with a new Card Concept Challenge. We're getting into fall themes as you can see in the inspiration photo down below. Here's my card for the Clean and Simple category.

The image and the sentiment were stamped in black. Some pattern paper was added along the bottom and then finished off with some twine. Quick and easy!

Be sure to check out the styles here and all the inspiration from the rest of the design team and then get to making a card for the challenge. Happy stamping!!

SUPPLIES:
Stamps: Primitive Pumpkins (MFT)
Paper: Kraft (SU), Bitty Box Basics pattern paper (PTI)
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black
Other: Black hemp twine (SU)

Fall Coffee Card Lovers Blog Hop

Today is the last day of the Fall Coffee Lovers Blog Hop and I'm squeezing in a card at the last minute.

I used the new PTI set called Twig Wreath. It was fun playing around with colors and on a couple of the leaves I used the rock-n-roll technique.

I die cut the coffee cups and popped them up dimensionals and then I spritzed some Early Espresso and Tangerine Tango using my spritzer tool and markers.

Finally I colored over all the leaves with Wink of Stella but I just couldn't get a good picture of that. You can see just a hint of sparkle in this picture.

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my coffee card!!

SUPPLIES:
Stamps: Twig Wreath, Heart-2-Heart #1, Graceful Greetings (PTI)
Paper: White (PTI)
Ink: Early Espresso (SU), Scarlet Jewel, Ripe Avocado, Summer Sunrise, Canyon Clay, Harvest Gold, Autumn Rose, Classic Kraft, Terra Cotta Tile (PTI); markers by SU (Early Espresso, Tangerine Tango)
Other: Spritzer (SU), Wink of Stella, Heart-2-Heart #1 die

Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge 288

It's a beautiful day here in Washington. We are having just a wonderful September. I should be outside but instead I went up to my stamp room to make some cards. I'm feeling in the Halloween mood today.  I made this card for this week's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge.

I stamped up the pumpkins and played around with colors and finally settled on a Tangerine Tango circle on a black square. This is all topped on some long retired SU DSP.

I ran the tangerine piece through my Big Shot with the Linen impression plate and the black piece with the Rustic Burlap impression plate. The pumpkins are popped up on dimensionals.

Here is the sketch:

Thanks for stopping by today!

SUPPLIES:
Stamps: Primitive Pumkpins (MFT)
Paper: Kraft, Black, Tangerine Tango, Howlstooth & Scaringbone DSP (SU)
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black
Other: Circle and Square Nestabilities dies, Fishtail Flag Stax (MFT), Linen & Canvas Impression plate, Rustic Burlap Impression plate (PTI), dimensionals

Seize the Birthday Challenge

My brother's birthday is this week and a serious card just wouldn't cut it.  I used an old SU set that I've had for eons but it seemed perfect because my brother and his wife like to cruise.

I embossed the sentiment with white embossing powder and watercolored the ship.  Here's the inside...

 I'm submitting this card to the Seize the Birthday Challenge. No extra toppings this time.

Have a great weekend everyone!!

SUPPLIES:

Stamps: Words By Wilson (SU)

Paper: White (pti), Night of Navy (SU)

Ink: Versafine Onyx Black; Brocade Blue, Night of Navy (SU); Markers-Real Red, Yoyo Yellow, Garden Green (SU); Copic No. 0 and Micron Pigma black

Other: Versamark pad, white embossing powder (Hero Arts)

Papertrey September Blog Hop Challenge

Hi! Today is Papertrey's Blog Hop. The inspiration photo is below.

I picked up on the theme of the autumn leaves for my card.

I stamped the sentiment on Kraft cardstock and then ran it through my Big Shot with the Linen Impression plate.

I watercolored orange, yellow, red and green onto watercolor paper and then die cut the leaves. I stamped the leaf veins in Classic Kraft and then spritzed with Heidi Swapp Gold Color Shine.  You can see the sparkly shine in the photo above.

I attached the leaves with a single Glue Dot so that they would keep the slight curl and loose look. Next came the twine and a few sequins to finish it off.

I think this card will go to my SIL whose birthday is coming up in October. Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you have fun at the hop!


SUPPLIES:
Stamps: Leaf Prints, Side By Side Sentiments (PTI)
Paper: White, Autumn Chicken Scratch Pattern Pack (PTI), Kraft, SU, watercolor paper
Ink: Dark Chocolate, Classic Kraft (PTI)
Other: Leaf Prints die, Linen Impression Plate (PTI), twine (May Arts), Gold Color Shine (Heidi Swapp), sequins (Avery Elle), Glue Dots, dimensionals, watercolors (Simply Art)

Card Concept Challenge #40

Hi! I hope that you enjoyed the last challenge and are getting back into the swing of things. We have a new Card Concept Challenge for you this week which involves "Forest Friends".

This photo immediately brought to mind an old SU set called Under the Stars. Do you remember it?  Here's my card. I have to tell you that I had a bad experience with a raccoon and camping at the ocean but this little guy is pretty cute.

I punched out the tag and stamped the critters. Then I ran the tag through my Big Shot with the Linen Impression plate to give it a tad bit of texture. Next I inked around the edge with the stamp pad and added the twine. A piece of Autumn Chicken Scratch DSP and a sentiment finishes it off.  The tag is popped up on dimensionals.  A Clean & Simple design.


Supplies:
Stamps: Under the Stars (SU), sentiment is from Peaceful Wildflowers (MFT)
Paper: Kraft (SU), Neena Solar White, Autumn Chicken Scratch Pattern Pack (PTI)
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Classic Kraft (PTI)
Other: Monthly Moments Journal Card 6 die, Linen & Canvas Impression Plate (PTI), dimensionals (Recollections)


Well I couldn't help myself. I had to stamp another card.

I really liked the design of this card but ran into a few troubles. I stamped the sentiment on the vellum with Versafine Onyx black and it started to bleed. I also knew that it would be wet so I hit with my heat gun. And hit again. And hit it again. Wow. It just wouldn't dry.  So it's smudgy. Is that a word? Next time I will emboss it. Then I stamped the raccoon and got out my stamp-a-majig to line up the can of beans. After stamping I checked it out. Really? I can't even line it up with a stamp-a-majig.  Finally I stamped the bear, ran it through my wood impression plate and popped it up on dimensionals.  I still like the card, even with it's imperfections.

Hope you all will join us and make a Forest Friend card for the challenge.

Have a great day!

Supplies:
Stamps: Under the Stars (SU), Wet Paint III (PTI)
Paper: Kraft (SU), White (PTI), vellum
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black
Other: Wood Impression Plate (PTI), Fishtail Flag Stax (MFT), Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher, dimensionals (Recollections)

The Card Concept Challenge Has Returned

Hi All!  This is so exciting for me. My first Card Concept challenge as a member of the Design Team!  For our first challenge back from summer break we have this inspiration photo.

I love that yellow and aqua color combo. I also love the daisies but I have a new butterfly die and I wanted to try it out so I went that direction instead of flowers. So here is my Clean and Simple card.

 I sponged Aqua Mist ink over the mesh stencil and then used my aquapainter to flick on some Hawaiian Shores ink.  Next I stamped the sentiment.

I die cut the butterfly from some dotted vellum and then used my aquapainter to add Lemon Tart, Harvest Gold & Summer Sunrise to the back of the piece. It really curled and I was a bit worried until I used my hair dryer on a low setting to dry it from the back and it flattened out to a nice looking gentle curl. I added the black rhinestones then adhered the butterfly with glue dots.

A few enamel dots finished it off.


Now that you've seen this card, which I am really happy with,  I will show you the first card that I made. I really like this one too but it seemed just a touch fussy for a Clean & Simple card.

I cut a piece of cardstock to 4 x 5-1/4" then I used an aquapainter to loosely paint the background in Aqua Mist and let it dry.

Next I the spackled over a portion of the stencil and let it dry. While it was drying I stamped Lemon Tart, Harvest Gold & Summer Sunrise onto an acrylic block then swished a bit of water onto the block with an aquapainter. On a separate piece of white cardstock I smooshed the ink from the acrylic block. I did this a couple times, let it dry and then flicked some Tropical Teal onto it. I die cut the butterfly from this piece.

Next I Stamped the sentiment.  I got the spackling paste a bit far down and so I stamped over it but it's still ok.  I adhered the butterfly with glue dots only in the center so that the wings can float off the paper a bit.  Lastly I added the enamel dots and taped this layer down to the card. You could also add dimensionals to this layer but I'm at my daughter's right now and we haven't unearthed her dimensionals  from boxes yet.  It may all sound complicated but it went pretty quickly.


I hope that you liked my card(s) and will participate in this challenge. Also check out the inspiration from all the other Design Team members.

Thanks for stopping by today!


SUPPLIES: (all supplies are from PTI unless noted)

Card 1:
Stamps: Graceful Greetings 
Paper: White , Dotted Vellum
Ink: Aqua Mist, Hawaiian Shores, Lemon Tart, Harvest Gold, Summer Sunrise; Versafine Onyx Black
Other: Life is Beautiful Die Collection (pti); Texture Mesh stencil (Memory Box); sponge; Aquapainter, Acrylic block, Glue Dots (SU); Enamel dots (Doodlebug & Teresa Collins); Dimensionals (Recollections); Rhinestones (Recollections)

Card 2:
Stamps: Graceful Greetings 
Paper: White 
Ink: Aqua Mist, Tropical Teal, Lemon Tart, Harvest Gold, Summer Sunrise; Versafine Onyx Black
Other: Life is Beautiful Die Collection (pti); Lightweight spackling paste (hardware store); Texture Mesh stencil (Memory Box); Aquapainter, Acrylic block, Glue Dots (SU); Enamel dots (Doodlebug & Teresa Collins); Dimensionals (Recollections)

I'm Back with Freshly Made Sketches #200 and Seize the Birthday

Hi All!  It's been such a busy summer with my daughter moving from Vancouver, WA to Columbus, OH to go back to school for her PhD in Music Education.  I'm so  proud of her! We also had a 2 week vacation with all our family which was wonderful.  We went to Glacier National Park and arrived there the day that the fire broke out.  We were not able to go everywhere we had hoped because of the fire but still had a wonderful time.

Now my fingers are getting itchy to get back to stamping and what better way than with Freshly Made Sketches 200th sketch!  I think that my card also will fit in with the Seize the Birthday challenge. Balloons fly. Right?

I've had this set for a while and just never got around to using it. That little balloon animal is just so cute!  Here's a close up of the little guy. He's popped up on dimensionals.

This card is just the way I like it. Clean & Simple. Lots of white space.

Have a great day and happy stamping!

SUPPLIES:
STAMPS: Party Animal (Avery Elle)
Paper: White, Comic Strip Pattern Pack (PTI)
Ink: Enchanted Evening, Harvest Gold (PTI), Versafine Onyx Black
Other: Party Animal die (Avery Elle)