Valentine Cats

Hello!  Today is Valentine's day and I hope you're all feeling cherished, whether it be by a significant other or any friend or family member, including the furry kind.  Most of my Valentines go to friends because, you know, friends are the family you choose yourself.

Gosh, I hope I'm not sending these cats to the same people again, but I just love this little Gerda Steiner cutie pie with the XOXO.  I did one in pink and one in red.  The fun thing I'd like to tell you about these cats is that I colored them with ink and small blending brushes from Amazon.  Some are angled, some flat, sized small to tiny.  Not as dense as more expensive brushes, but they work nicely.  I was mainly planning to use them for stenciling but this was fun, too.  I like how they gave the image a shaded look without any extra effort from me.

One in pink, one in red.  I covered the card bases with some random loose designer paper sheets from The Vast Hoard.  Supplies are listed below so I won't go on too much about details.

My goal today is to eat chocolate and do no chores (in my dreams).  How about you?  Happy Valentine's Day!

Stamps:  Gerda Steiner All Cats  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White, SU Real Red, designer paper from stash  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, SU Real Red, Pretty in Pink, other for coloring  Coloring:  Inks applied to cats with small stencil brushes -- Memento London Fog on pink card, SU Apricot Appeal and Pumpkin Pie on red card  Other:  Die-namics Wonky Stitched Squares, Poppystamps Clothesline Hearts, Memory Box Fairy Jewels, Wink of Stella

Double D Challenge: The Great Outdoors

 

Presenting another Double D challenge.  This time it's anything to do with the outdoors.  Think canoeing, camping, traveling, gardening, fishing, and so on.

The characters on my card are experiencing the great outdoors safari style.  This Gerda Steiner Go Wild stamp set has been sitting in my never-been-used basket for over 3 years.  I was beginning to wonder if its time would ever come, but here it is.

Images are Copic colored, hand cut, and arranged on a card covered with designer paper.  A few dies help build the scene.  I sponged the edges of the card with brown ink.  Inside is the sentiment, "It's your birthday.  Go Wild!"  I was going to send this to a friend who went on a photo safari years ago, but her birthday is still a long way off.  In the meantime, a non-stamping friend grabbed it up and was loathe to let go so it has found a different home and that's okay, too.

In addition to creative winners, there's a darling prize for a random winner:

I enjoy the outdoors and all the fresh air and activity.  Nature has a way of putting human problems in perspective.  I hope you'll visit the Double D blog, see the awesome team samples, and have fun crafting along with us.  Take care!

Stamps:  Gerda Steiner Go Wild  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth 110 lb white, scraps colored cardstock, Bo Bunny Zoology designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Close to cocoa for sponging  Coloring:  Copics  Dies:  Spellbinders A2 Curved Borders One and Big Scalloped Ovals, Impression Obsession Grass and Grass Border

Weird Llama

Hi there!  A new month, a fresh start...  I hope we can make it a good one.

I've got a card made with Gerda Steiner's Llama Tell You stamp set today.  I can't say I had an easy time with this card as my brain didn't seem to know what to do.  Too long in the not-yet-used basket?  However, I needed a birthday card for a former coworker, and this particular llama seemed perfect.  I had to add the fluffy pink topknot because it's never certain what color my friend's hair will be next.  She'll understand perfectly.

Colored with Copics.  The zigzag/dotty background is my umpteenth effort at inking up an embossing folder and hoping for good results.  I smeared this one with Distress Oxide Scattered Straw.  It has a messy, somewhat distressed look which is serviceable for a llama card.  I cut the panel with a Spellbinders Hemstitch die.

Sharing at Darnell's NBUS Challenge (#40).   My Llama set is "Never before used schtuff". 

I hope to catch you later this week.  Some pain issues are making it hard for me to be on the computer.  Nothing to worry about, but it's annoying.  Till soon...

Meerkat Valentine for My Sweetie

Hooray, I made my sweetie's Valentine, played in a challenge, and cracked the seal on my NBUS meerkat set all at the same time.  I love when that happens. 

The challenge is Double D's "Hearts".  You can scroll down to see the mood board, but I'll tell you it was the red gingham that inspired me.  The big letters are Memory Box Wooden Alpha.  I cut down the "I" to make the plus sign.  Unfortunately it looks like a cross to me, and once I saw it that way I couldn't get it out of my head.  Then for some reason the grass border looks like green fire, so now I have a cross set in green fire... it's distressing, but I'm sure it's all in my head.  Is it in yours now, too?

Gerda Steiner Meerkats on the Lookout...  Colored with Tombow markers.  I cut around their arms so they could hold the love sentiment.  Love is a reverse stamp (solid except for the letters) which I stamped in Versamark on black cardstock, then embossed with white EP and then iridescent EP.  The sparkle doesn't show in the photo on the sentiment, but that's what those speckles are.  The hearts were embossed with iridescent embossing powder which does show up somewhat in the photo.

Geez, so much to tell on a card like this...  it's a lot to read, too.  I'll wrap it up -- the red gingham is a lightweight cardstock which I have in several colors in a 12x12 pad.  As always, I cut the whole card with it (finished size is 3 1/2 x 6).  By the time the layers and elements are added you don't notice how lightweight the cardstock is.

Double D Challenge:  Hearts
NBUS Challenge #35 -- My Meerkats are fresh out of the package.

 

Well, that was fun!  I won't have time to send Valentines this year, but I might make some for next year.  It sounds like a good idea to me!  Sending love & hugs to all!

Stamps:  Gerda Steiner Meerkats on the Lookout, Memory Box Big and Little Reverse Words  Paper:  Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb hot pressed watercolor, black, red, green cardstock, Neenah 110 lb CS for dimension under the letters, lightweight red gingham cardstock, scrap wood grain designer paper  Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black, Versamark  Coloring:  Tombow markers, no blender  Dies:  Memory Box Wooden Alpha, MFT Die-namics Fresh Cut Grass, Paper Smooches Hearts, miscellaneous small rectangle  Other:  Detail clear embossing powder, white EP, Iridescent Peacock EP, Signo Uniball white gel pen, foam mounting tape

Deeply Fun

Hello, friends!  I'm back and will catch up with everyone soon.

Today, it's just for fun... a little something I made before we left for camping.  It's one of those cards that happened mostly on its own.  The background... honestly, before it was die cut it looked suitable only for clown cards, and that was never going to happen.  I figured maybe some smaller die cuts...  Well, after I die cut this one it looked like the makings for an underwater scene, so that's when I pulled out my Gerda Steiner Deeply stamp set and finally made my first card with it.  The background is watercolor, but the stamps are all Copic colored and hand cut.

The background die is actually quite beautiful -- Jeanine's Art Garden Classics Lace Frame, Center Oval.  The center oval does not cut out, but was easily traced onto white paper, hand cut and glued in place.  One of these days it will look great with some flowers, which is why I bought it in the first place.  There are a bunch of similar Jeanine's Art dies still available, but I don't know about this one as it's new to me, but not brand new on the market.

In the next picture you may be able to see more of the embossed impression of the die.

One more pic so you can see the gloss on the submarine porthole:

I'll get back to the Deeply set again soon, I hope.  I don't want to put it away until I've used all the stamps, and there are still a few more.  The same goes for the die.  It will stay out until it's used again.

My card with its NBUS stamp set and die are going to visit Darnell's NBUS Challenge 17.

Take good care of yourselves and we'll get together again before too long!

Sneaky Raccoons

Tuesday greetings, friends!  I was on quite a stamp buying binge earlier this year, but I'm much better now, thank you.  I piled not-yet-used stamps atop not-yet-used stamps in my basket, plus added many new digital stamps to my files.  Among the stamps in the basket were six Gerda Steiner sets... because I couldn't choose just one.  I finished up one set and have just now played with the second set -- Sneaky Raccoons.

I sat down one morning and colored every stamp, some more than once, then cut everything out and left it for another day.  I figured I'd make a card now and then over time, but I ended up making four cards all in one day.  I hope you don't mind that I share them all at once with just two photos and minimal explanation.

Dies on these two cards:  Spellbinders circle dies, MFT Die-namics Star Stax and Stacking Stars, Poppystamps Woodland Oval, Paper Smooches Foliage 1

All coloring was done with Copics.  I used designer papers and dies and cardstocks that have been in my collection for a good long time.  In the photo below I have one card with a sanded Core'dinations base, and each card is embellished with SU Candy Dots I've had forever.

Dies used on these two cards:  Spellbinders Scored and Pierced Rectangles, Poppystamps Scribble Daisy Heart Frame, Tutti Designs Stitched Nesting Hearts, Cottage Cutz Double-Stitched Square Set

Well, this was fun and I'm glad to add four more cute cards to my stash.  I've been mailing a lot lately.

Take good care of yourselves, friends.  I know I don't have to say more than that.  Hugs and love to all.

Paws-itively Love These Cats

Hello, and welcome to a brand new week!  I have two cards today, one colorful, one soft, and both using my Gerda Steiner All Cats stamp set with miscellaneous dies in the card designs.  This was a fun play on a day I didn't feel too great, so smile cards were definitely in order.

Designer paper, dies, and a lightly stenciled cloudy sky background on the first card.  I'm happy to have used my new-ish Cottage Cutz Birdhouse with Vine again.  All dies and such are listed below the picture.

(Heffy Doodle Cloudy Skies stencil, Cottage Cutz Birdhouse with Vine, Paper Smooches Foliage 1, Hero Arts Wood Frame, Poppystamps Stitched Landscapes)


Inside, an encouraging kitty friend is holding the sentiment:

Next is for a birthday.  Could be for the littlest girl next door, or for a grown up girl who likes kitties.  Brand new to me is the Poppystamps Scribble Daisy Heart Frame.  I cut it once from soft yellow, then again from matching designer paper.  Trimmed out just the heart and layered over the plain yellow.  Added punched hearts.  Simple.

Closer, just because it's soft and cute and I love the Scribble Daisy Heart Frame.  More to come with that in the near future.  I do have a coordinating heart die for the center.

Inside... love how this stamp adds yet more happy to the inside.

Sharing at Gerda Steiner Designs Share Your Design February Challenge.  Always anything goes with Gerda Steiner stamps.

I have five more Gerda Steiner sets not-yet-used, so I'd better get a move on.  I did go nuts for these stamps!  Have yourself a very happy day!

Twofer Hearts

Hello!  I have a fun post today as I'm playing along in the Twofer Hearts challenge.  This could not possibly be a difficult theme for me, seeing as how I use hearts on my cards so frequently, but it took me a while to get around to it.  Nevertheless, here they are:

My hearts in common are the smaller of the die cut stitched hearts.  One card is a Valentine, the other a St. Patrick's Day card.

The Valentine is a new-to-me Gerda Steiner stamp set called All Cats.  Along with the lovable cat and all the hearts is another new-to-me item:  Precious Marieke Ribbon Border die.  I'm hoping it will help with some of my vast hoard of ribbon which I need to either use or lose.  It's taking up way too much space where I'd rather store stamps!

Next, the St. Patrick's Day card is using some golden oldie wood block stamps.  The Leprechaun from DOTS (now called CTMH) is one of my first ever stamps.  Too cute to give up!  The sentiment is from Art Impressions, dated 2001.  A perfect pair!

The hearts are Tutti Designs Stitched Nesting Hearts.  Designer papers are years old from my stash.

Thanks for your time today!  I hope this week is going to be a good one for you!