Yogi's Flowers

Hi all!  Some coloring happened in my stamp room.  It took three sit downs, but mission accomplished.  Pain and numbness creep up on me when I stick with it too long.  There's plenty I can do, not complaining, but adjustments must be made.  Enough about that.

The flowers on my card were hand drawn by my long-time blog friend Yogi.  She knew how much I admired it and then kindly surprised me with a digital copy for my coloring pleasure.  Thank you, Yogi!

I lightened the image for no-line coloring, then printed on watercolor paper.  However, this is not totally a watercolor.  The background shading is watercolor, but Copics were used on the flowers.  The sentiment is an old woodblock stamp.  Border was drawn with a gray marker.

Every time we send a hand crafted card we send a portion of ourselves.  I hope snail mail never goes away.  Have a wonderful day!

Stamps:  Digital flowers hand drawn by a friend, Great Impressions sentiment (old woodblock stamp)  Paper:  Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb hot pressed watercolor, dark gray Bazzill cardstock base  Ink:  Printer, Ranger Archival Watering Can  Coloring:  Copics for flowers and SU ink for watercolor background, SU gray marker for border

Peony Rose Stem for a Lovely Lady

Hello friends!  I've not managed a lot of time for stamping and blogging lately, but I'm popping in today to wish a happy birthday to my friend, Loll, who is indeed a lovely lady.  I mailed a different card to Loll which I'm hoping she has received by now, but today's card is just so I can celebrate online with several of Loll's friends.

🎜Happy birthday, Loll!  I hope you have a very special day!🎝

I'm newly enchanted by the 3D embossing folders with matching dies.  This is a Lisa Horton set called Peony Rose Stem.  It couldn't be easier to put beauty on a card!  After embossing and die cutting I colored the image with Distress Oxide inks applied with a pointy sponge-tipped eye shadow brush.  The smooth chalkiness of the oxide ink was nice for this sort of coloring.  I'll love to have another go at it in different colors and card designs.

The photo below in different light shows more of the amazing dimension.  I should note that I also cut a second flower to layer underneath.  The sentiment is Penny Black.

Today is a doubly special day in that it's also our Wally's birthday -- 13 years old today.  Can you believe it?  I know there are a good lot of you who remember him as a puppy.  Wally is still going strong, though a bit slower and with certain limitations.  He knows what he can and can't do.  In March the vet gave us some news which was hard to take, but Wally is living a happy life.  He twirls in circles when he's excited, he loves outdoor adventures in safe, easy places, and he's the snuggliest boy ever.  Just look at that smiling face all squinty eyed in the sun.  Happy birthday Wally!

Thank you for coming to visit today.  I hope I'll have a chance to visit all my blogging friends soon.  You know how it goes.  Take care!

Joyful Journey

Hi there!  I spotted some challenges that prompted me to finally color up this darling Penny Black stamp.  It's a mini-set with the squirrel(?), bird, and sentiment -- Joyful Journey.  I bought it for last year's Christmas cards, but it had to wait (along with a few others). 

Today he's stamped in Versafine Onyx Black and clear embossed on watercolor paper, then cut with the coordinating die.  I did the watercoloring with retired SU Watercolor Wonder crayons.  The landscape dies, the dots stamp, the patterned paper are all retired oldies, but they make a nice environment for the squirrel as he races down the hill to deliver his presents.

Lots of fun was had in the making of this card!

Here's a link to those challenges that inspired me:

Penny Black Saturday Challenge -- Anything goes with optional "Journey"
Christmas Kickstart Challenge #63 Pawfectly Pawsome -- Anything with paws

NBUS Challenge #39 (Never before used schtuff) -- First time use of Joyful Journey stamp & die

  

I hope all the American dads had a great Father's Day.  Our son sent Rich a nice variety of chocolate covered cherries from Harry & David to have for dessert after the home-cooked steak, mushroom, & shrimp dinner from me.  He's the guy who has everything, so what are you going to do but feed him? 

Take care till we meet again!

Sweet and Simple Dry Embossed Bird

Hello and happy Friday to all.  I have a very simple card to share today, made specifically for the Can You Handle the Pressure challenge.  It's always anything goes with an embossing folder, but each challenge includes an optional twist as well.  This month it's birds.  Say no more!

I pulled out every embossing folder with birds.  Turns out there are a lot in my collection, but I settled on this one which hasn't been used in a while.

It's a sweetie.  I embossed on retired SU Core'dinations cardstock, then sanded to bring out the white core.  After embossing I decided to cut a curved edge, which slightly flattened the embossing, so I fit the embossed piece back into the folder and re-embossed.  Perked it right up.  This blue is retired Soft Sky (an old favorite) with a border of retired SU designer paper, also in Soft Sky.

Along with all the old timey retired stuff is a new(ish?) stamp set from Birch Press called Contempo Greetings.  Comes with dies for the various shapes.  Love this set because the dies can be used with other sentiments as well.  I stamped with Versamark onto a scrap of the same cardstock, then embossed with white.

It's all very subtle and restful, like a spa for your eyes.

Two challenges today:

Can You Handle the Pressure?  Requires the use of an embossing folder.  Optional twist - birds.

NBUS Challenge #39 -- Never before used schtuff.  Today it's my Birch Press sentiment set.

 

This was a rather fun week with the oldies.  I'm trying to decide which company's NBUS to focus on next.  Heaven knows I have plenty.  Thank you for your time!

Stamps:  Birch Press Contempo Greetings  Paper:  Retired SU Soft Sky Core'dinations, Neenah white 80 lb, retired SU designer paper  Ink:  Versamark  Other:  Sizzix Birds of a Feather embossing folder, Poppystamps Dotted Curve die, white embossing powder

For The World's Best Dog Dad

Hello!  Father's Day fast approaches, but I'm ready now.  I made The World's Best Dog Dad a card from Wally and LuLu.  All these old materials still serve their purpose:  A Great Impressions wood block sentiment stamp and a Rubbernecker dog which slightly resembles Wally.  The colorful designer paper has been around for a while.  It also provided some of the sentiments.

I put LuLu on the inside.  Not an exact match, but the die gives a suggestion of her girly sweetness.  I know Rich will be touched.  He'll also like the Rib Eye steak dinner that goes with it.

That's all folks!  Stay well and stay cool.  I hope to see you again soon!

A Garden Wreath for CAS Christmas Card Challenge

Hi!  I'm happy to see the CAS Christmas Card Challenge back as it's always been one of my favorites.  This month the theme is "Wreath" and I had nearly endless choices in my collection.  However, it was a treat to finally color this most beautiful Power Poppy wreath from the Season's Greenings set.  I've used and linked to the clear stamp set, but you can get all the parts of this set as digital stamps, too. 

I love a clean and simple design, but I also love to color and use embossing folders and designer paper, so this is my version of that fusion.  Maybe not technically CAS, but I appreciate the inspiration from the challenge.  Today's coloring was done with Copics.  The sentiment is from a retired SU set, chosen because it fit the design in my mind's eye.

CAS Christmas Card Challenge -- Wreath
I'm also sharing at the Peace on Earth Christmas Challenge.  They have a beautiful inspiration board, but anything Christmas is okay.

 

I'm feeling better about my 2022 Christmas card stash with each card I make.  Challenges definitely help.  Thanks everyone!

Stamps:  Power Poppy Season's Greenings, retired SU Many Merry Messages  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 lb, Memory Box Christmas Plaid designer paper  Ink:  Gray, SU Real Red  Coloring:  Copics  Other:  Sizzix Lumber 3D embossing folder, Memory Box Stitched Circle Layers

Little Yellow Birds

Hello friends!  I have finally pulled the last Rubbernecker stamp from my NBUS basket.  Happy dance!  I loved these birds the first time I saw them, but waited a while before I bought them, and then waited a good long while before I used them for the first time.  Silly me.  They're so quick and simple and cute!

I colored with Copics on Neenah Solar White, added flower sequins and polka dot paper.  The sentiment is NBUS Rubbernecker, too.  Inside says, "Have a tweet birthday", again NBUS Rubbernecker.

I stayed with all yellow and white in order to play along with the Double D Challenge which asks for white and only one other color.  I'm hoping the black outline image and black sentiment are okay.

Double D:  White with One Other Color Only
NBUS Challenge #39 -- First time use for the birds.

 

Altogether this Rubbernecker focus has involved 11 individual stamps and one whole stamp set.  That's all the NBUS Rubbernecker I had in the basket.  It's about time they got used, don't you think?  I'm on a mission to clear out those baskets -- two for stamps and one for dies and embossing folders.  I'm bad but I know I'm in good company.

See you again soon!

Stamps:  Rubbernecker Be Yourself (birds), RN On Your Terms sentiment  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 lb, retired SU designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black  Coloring:  Copics  Other:  Queen & Co sequins, SU Subtle embossing folder, Taylored Expressions Stitched Rectangle Stacklets

Mini-slimline Garden

Hi there!  I have flowers today.  These Rubbernecker leaves and the flower are the same I used on this card for the subtle background.  The leaves have been in my collection for a long time but it was a first time use for the flower, and before I put it away I felt it should have another go.  One leaf stamp and one flower stamp gave me a nice little garden.

I inked the rubber directly with Tombow markers and then stamped on Neenah 110 lb cardstock.  I did not mist, but the markers gave a somewhat watercolor effect.  This one layer mini-slimline card is 3 1/2" x 6".  Easy and quick!

No challenges today.  Just me stamping and wishing you a happy day.  Take care!

Stamps:  Rubbernecker Silhouette Flower #4, Rubbernecker Leaves (name?), Rubbernecker Smiles and Thinks of You sentiment  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 110 lb  Ink:  Tombow markers, Memento Tuxedo Black

Fish Splishin'

Hello and happy day to you!

Things haven't been going right in my stamp room lately.  I can't color worth a darn, equipment fails me, techniques don't turn out... just to name a few.  I decided to quit worrying about it and do another Rubbernecker week.  This week will wrap up the last of the not-yet-used Rubbernecker stamps in my basket -- hooray!  Today it's a stamp called Fish Group.  I love these guys.  It's an older stamp and I think no longer available.  I must have gotten the last one.

For this card I watercolored with Twinkling H2Os.  You can't see much twinkle, but I like the colors.  I'm trying to show the bubbles in the picture below.  I spent a good amount of time cleaning the nozzles on all my Nuvo drops, so I'll be using them more often now.  They have to be rinsed clear after each use or they clog.  At least that's my experience.  They're an awesome product when properly cared for.

I cut a Big Splash Border (Memory Box 2013) and stenciled make-believe sunrays.  It's all just fun and whimsy as I work my way through this mojo slump.

I hope these fish faces will make you smile with me a little bit.

Sharing at Darnell's NBUS Challenge #39.

More Rubbernecker coming later this week.  Have a happy day!

Stamps:  Rubbernecker Fish Group, Stampendous Ocean Sayings sentiment  Paper:  Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb hot pressed watercolor, Neenah 80 lb white card base  Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black, SU Summer Sun  Coloring:  Watercolor with Twinkling H2Os  Other:  WOW Super Fine Clear and Super Fine Black embossing powder, Nuvo Sea Breeze translucent Jewel Drops, MFT Ray of Light stencil, Memory Box Big Splash Border