A Valentine for my Sweetie

Hello, friends!  Today I'm sharing the Valentine I made for my sweetie.  I generally make him something humorous or cute with critters, but thought I'd surprise him with a pretty card this year.  I've used Penny Black's Winsomely.  Just the one rose, stamped twice, colored and hand cut.  I opted not to get the dies for this set.

Jill's Sketch #4 from her latest series for Penny Black was one of my favorites.  It's so simple, but practical and it takes a plain white background out of the ordinary.  I love it so much that I made five card bases in this layout, but with different embossing folders.  While I was at it I made two with another of her sketches, and then I ran out of time, but I'll get back to it.  I like the idea of having these made up and ready for whenever I take a notion to add a splash of color or cuteness.

I nested Spellbinder's dies to make the frame, layered three times and popped up on foam tape.  The "love" is a Frantic Stamper die layered three times.  The black cardstock on the top "love" layer was made glossy by covering with clear packing tape before cutting.  Same with the hearts.  Thanks to Natalie Bowers at NB Cards for that trick.

I'm playing along here:

Penny Black Saturday Challenge -- Optional hearts
NBUS Challenge #71 -- My never before used schtuff is the Winsomely stamp set.

 

I hope you all had a lovely Valentine's Day.  Sending love and hugs all around!

Stamps:  Penny Black Winsomely  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 lb, scrap black cardstock  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black  Coloring:  Copics  Other:  Spellbinders Devine Eleoquence and Labels Twenty-Eight, Frantic Stamper Sending Love/Hugs, hearts from spare parts, Spellbinders Scallops embossing folder, clear packing tape

Ladybug and Flower for the Neglected Stuff Challenge

Hello again and welcome!

I'm all excited about the Neglected Stuff Challenge, brand new this month.  It's another of the umpteen challenges run by our friends, Diane and Darlene.  It runs for a month, and all neglected stuff is welcome -- stamps, dies, papers, embellishments, ephemera...  endless stuffs -- anything that's been sitting unused for far too long a time.

My thoughts turned first to the many woodblock stamps I've loved enough to keep through multiple purges.  The one I chose today goes way back to my earliest days of stamping and it's still one of my favorites.  It's been many years since I've used it.

It's a Great Impressions stamp with no name on it.  Alongside is a Heartfelt Creations sentiment which was in my spare parts drawer.  The patterned paper is 2009 BasicGrey Origins which had only been neglected 2 or 3 years until I pulled it out for my previous post.  I have so little of it left that I decided to work on finishing off the pad.

I colored with Copics, created a frame with one of my oldest Spellbinders dies, and embellished with tiny gems.

If I saw this stamp today I would still want to buy it.

I get so intent on using my newest purchases that I skip over some of the best stuff.  I use oldies, but they tend to be mostly sentiments, dies, papers.  It's not often that the focus is on the oldie.  Hoping to change that going forward.

The Neglected Stuff Challenge

Thanks for visiting with me today!  I hope to see you again soon.

Blooms and Birds and Fixing Mistakes -- Four Cards

Hello there, and happy Monday!

My friend, Diane, inadvertently sent me on quite a creative journey when she posted this card for the Love Those Pretty Papers challenge.  Diane gives a link to a video and tells her story, saying it was a learning experience.  I'd say she's right about that.  I cut some pieces wrong, and then couldn't properly line up the ones I cut right.  However, I figured a way to fix my messes and piece together some different designs.  In the process I used four sheets from a 2009 BasicGrey 6x6 pad, as well as two not-yet-used Tim Holtz Sizzix die sets -- Bloom, Colorize and Feathered Friends.  I would not have thought of this paper/die combination, but one thing led to another.  You know how that happens, don't you?  I'll share in the order the cards were created.

In the first card I added a frame because my pieced papers came out with uneven edges.  The two ivory center panels helped separate the focal flowers from the busy background.

After I made the flower for the first card I was not eager to make that flower with its tiny parts again, so I pulled out one of the TH birds and combined it with foliage from the flower set.  I tried spacing the pieces as shown in the video, but ended up with too wide a space across the center of the card.  That's when I added one of the scalloped edges I'd cut from the paper.

For the third card I used another of the Feathered Friends combined with foliage from the flower set.  These patterned paper pieces were cut in the wrong direction (it's hard to explain) so I had to do a different design altogether.  I taped them together on the backside to create diagonal rows.  The prints don't line up, tsk tsk, but I'll live with that.  I added the crimped border to the card front and trimmed the patterned piece to fit.  This design is a little different, but it was Day 3 and maybe it's not so bad.

I was about to call it done, but I still had some pieces and I thought I really should have another go at the flowers.  That's my self discipline and waste not/want not philosophy nagging at me in unison.  It might be my favorite of the four.  Maybe I was just glad to be done.

The insides are all finished with bits of the paper to decorate.  Each card has Viva Cream Pearl Pen dots added.  Some I tapped the backside of the card to flatten the dots, some are left half-round pearl shape.

After all that... I'll be sharing in three challenges:

Love Those Pretty Papers -- Optional use red.
A Cut Above -- Anything goes with die cuts.
NBUS Challenge #71 -- Never before used schtuff.  That's my Tim Holtz Bloom, Colorize and Feathered Friends.

 

Thanks so much for bearing with me through all these cards and words.  I will see you again soon (I hope).  Take care and have a happy day!

Other dies:  Memory Box Wrapped Stitched Frames, Spellbinders Small Classic Ovals and Fluted Classics Rectangles, Creative Expressions Just for You set, Sue Wilson Creative Expressions Stacked Just Because

Love Blooms in Purple

Hello and welcome back!

Sometimes it just has to be a simple splash of color against an all white background.  More of my Penny Black Love Blooms flowers today.  So quick and easy.  Colored with Tombows and blender.

 

It's nearly impossible to see in the photo, but the white card base is woodgrain.   I stamped a Penny Black Super Day sentiment and called it done.  Maybe this saves time for some of those other cards that take all morning to finish, sheesh.

Have a happy day!

Double D Challenge: Hearts

Hello, friends!  Double D is at it again.  A new challenge starts today and this time Diane is asking for hearts.  Little hearts, big hearts -- 'tis the month for hearts.  See the pretty inspiration board...

... and a prize for a random winner:

I'm still working my way through not-yet-used supplies, and that will go on for a long time.   You'd think I was a craft survivalist with the way I've stockpiled.  Today it's the cute little envelope with flowers from the Stampendous Mailbox Spring stamp set.  The large kraft heart was a spare part.  I embossed it with an old folder and tapped all over with a freshly reinked white pigment pad.

The glossy dots are punched cardstock circles with Diamond Glaze added.  The die cut sentiment  is two layers. I used the packing tape trick on the top layer -- applied clear packing tape to red cardstock, then die cut.  Instant glossy cardstock.  After I hand cut the stamped envelope and flowers I coated with Versamark and clear embossing powder.  Maybe sometime I'll try the packing tape on a hand cut image.

This little 4 3/4" card will be a Valentine for a friend.

My teamies have used their hearts in some clever and beautiful ways.  Come along and spread some love with us by sharing your hearts in our Double D Challenge.

Have a happy day!

Stamps:  Stampendous Mailbox Spring  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 110 lb, kraft, Cougar Vanilla, Stampin' Up Ridinghood Red and Groovy Guava, red glitter cardstock  Ink:  Memento Toffee Crunch, Stampin' Up White Pigment ink, Versamark  Coloring:  Copics  Dies:  Tutti Stitched Nesting Hearts, Impression Obsession For You  Other:  Cuttlebug Seeing Spots embossing folder, 1/8" & 1/4" circle punches, heart punch, JudiKins Diamond Glaze, clear packing tape, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

His and Hers Birthday Cats

Hello and welcome back!  Just some fun and frivolity today.  I thought I would share the the last of the Penny Black Birthday Critters I colored earlier this month.  It was a treat to pick a stamp set and a pack of paper, then just sit with my Copics and color to match.  Saves some of the decision making.  Not only that, but it helped me finish off a paper pad.

The first looks like a boy card to me.  Maybe it's the colors, maybe the cat?

A close up below shows the glossy balloon and sparkly stars.  The balloon gloss comes from packing tape over cardstock before die cutting.  I love that trick.  I used a Ranger Distress embossing pen and sparkly embossing powder on the stars, baker's twine for the string.  A little apricot ink brushed over the pennants-embossed background.

The next one is actually a gift tag made with Spellbinders Scallop Labels and Tag.  The designer paper is in the die cut Happy Edger (Penny Black).  Other sentiments are Penny Black as well -- Happy Builder and Carefree Wishes.  Ribbon and eyelet (!) from the vast neglected hoard.

I'm rushing off again.  It's been a busy week with all the home and life stuff that's not necessarily a lot of fun, but has to be done.  Our son is coming for a long weekend so I'll be able to slow down and enjoy more then.  See you again soon!

PB Love Blooms

Hi there!  I'm sending happy thoughts today with a brand new Penny Black stamp set -- Love Blooms -- cut with its matching dies and colored with Tombow markers and blender.  It's paired with a sentiment from the Happy Builder set.

I thought I would go with Jill's Sketch #4 as it was my favorite.  I improvised the frame with some old timey Spellbinders dies, and added a border of gingham paper at the top.  Memento Toffee Crunch was used for the stamp outline, the shading, and for coloring the skinny edge strip.  Spellbinders Branching Out embossing folder added yet more texture, and I finished with some homemade glossy accents.

I think that covers the essentials so I'll keep it short and simple today.  Linking to:

Darnell's NBUS Challenge #70 with my never before used Love Blooms stamp set.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a happy day!

Magical Deer and Tweet Cardinal

Hello and welcome!

Oh, happy day, I have two more cards for the Christmas box!  We'll start off with Spellbinders Magical Deer.  I used it once last year and didn't even realize until this year that I put its antlers on upside down.  How could I do that?  What a goofball!  Hopefully I've redeemed myself this year.

All supplies are listed below, but I will mention the baubles hanging from his antlers.  They are punched silver gloss cardstock coated with Diamond Glaze and hung on a string borrowed from the much older Memory Box Precious Hearts.  I was prompted first by the Christmas Kickstart Challenge in which Jo is asking for baubles this month.  I had my heart set on the deer so I was dragging my feet until I thought if Spellbinders could picture (on the package) the deer with a long tag hanging from his antlers, then surely I could hang some baubles.  I chose silver baubles as a nod to the mood board created by my friends at the Peace On Earth Challenge.  Sending my thanks to both challenges with links and graphics at the end.

Next is another Spellbinders die -- Tweet Cardinal.  I kept this card simple with a ready made frame from my card parts drawer.  Die cut holly accents a corner, and the sentiment banner gives him something to perch on.

I added Diamond Glaze to the holly berries, and you can see the holly leaves are also glossy.  The gloss was achieved by applying clear packing tape to green cardstock before cutting.  I learned the simple and genius packing tape trick from Natalie Bowers at NB Cards who I found during my late night YouTube excursions.

I have to give Natalie a shout out.  She's not selling anything, usually she can't even name the dies she uses as she oftentimes picks them up at a "charity shop".  I love that.  She'll take you step-by-simple step through creating the most beautiful backgrounds, and almost all her cards are ultra-CAS.  She created a Smoosher for smooshing watercolor backgrounds.  Don't knock it till you try it.  It makes smooshing so easy and neat.  She also makes her own glossy dots, which I've been doing for years, but her influence has prompted me to nearly give up purchased dots altogether.  Nearly.  I still have some in my stash, but I no longer buy them.  Most of her videos are only a few minutes long and it's amazing the ideas and inspiration she shares in that amount of time.

So here are the aforementioned challenges, plus NBUS for the Cardinal:

Christmas Kickstart #94 -- Bring the Baubles
Peace On Earth #80  -- See optional mood board
NBUS #70 -- Never before used schtuff.  My NBUS is the Spellbinders Tweet Cardinal.

  

If you're still with me after all that, then I appreciate your patience.  Have a happy day!

Deer:

Stamps:  None except inside sentiment  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80lb (base) & 110 lb(dies, red, dark gray, and silver gloss cardstock  Coloring:  Minimal with gray Copics  Dies:  Spellbinders Magical Deer, Impression Obsession Holiday Bottom Word Edgers, Memory Box Precious Hearts  Other:  Memory Box Frosted Pines 3D embossing folder, 1/8", 1/4", 1/2" hole/circle punches, JudiKins Diamond Glaze

Cardinal:

Stamps:  None except inside sentiment  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 110#, SU Garden Green for holly and Poppy Parade for layer under sentiment banner, scrap designer paper  Coloring:  Minimal with Copics  Dies:  Spellbinders Tweet Cardinal and Make It Merry Sentiments, Tim Holtz Sizzix Holiday Greens Mini  Other:  JudiKins Diamond Glaze for berries, clear packing tape for gloss on holly leaves, Scotch brand foam mounting tape for Cardinal