Folk Art Fox

Hello, friends!  It's good to see you again.

You may remember I said I was going to use this particular 2013 MME Notable designer paper on every card until it was gone.  I had such a little bit left, but it was still card-worthy.  Well, today's card finished it off -- happy dance!  There will be one more post using this paper, but I decided to mix things up a bit as there are some challenges that inspired me.  They call for something new, a birthday, and pretty papers.  I'll list all at the end.

My "something new" (to me) is the Cottage Cutz Folk Art Fox.  I loved their entire folk art release, but waited for a sale and then picked up a few pieces.  Just because I'm focusing on the "new" doesn't mean the old stuff gets neglected -- such as the Memory Box Tree of Wonder (2013), and the Tutti Designs heart I tucked into the branches.  In fact, everything on this card, other than the fox, has been residing in my toy box for years.

For these smallest scraps it was infinite fun to use them for the fox and scene.  Nothing fancy, just folk art simplicity.  Ideas came along the way.  I don't even remember why I chose to tuck a heart into the tree branches, but I love it.  I added Stickles glitter to the flower centers, sponged the sky.

The challenges I had in mind at the start are listed below: 

Love Those Pretty Papers  -- Anything goes using patterned papers.
A Cut Above -- Anything goes using die cuts.
Seize the Birthday #297 -- Use something new.  My Folk Art Fox is new (to me).
NBUS Challenge #70 -- My "never before use schtuff" is the Cottage Cutz Folk Art Fox

 

 

Thanks ever so much for dropping in to share the crafty good times with me.  Have a happy day!

Stamps:  Lawn Fawn Wavy Sayings  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 & 110 lb, My Mind's Eye Notable designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Stampin' Up Pool Party, Close to Cocoa for sponging edges of fox  Coloring:  Copics and ink blending  Dies:  Cottage Cutz Folk Art Fox, Memory Box Tree of Wonder, Lawn Fawn Fancy Wavy Banners, Tutti Designs Stitched Nesting Hearts, Die-namics Fresh Cut Grass, Impression Obsession Leaf Cluster  Other:  Flower punch, 1/8" circle punch for flower centers, Stardust Stickles

Double D Challenge: White on White

Hello!  Back with another Double D Challenge today.  White on white is the theme.  It's not easy for a crafter like me who loves color, but I always admire the look of it.  Check out the inspiration board:

Prizes as shown below are by random draw, and creative favorites are voted on by the team.

 

I pulled a variety of dies together for a Christmas card.  The dove is an old favorite, one of my earliest dies, in fact.  Cheery Lynn Designs closed up shop years ago, but their high quality dies are everlasting in my craft room.  The Spellbinders Blossom Nestabilities (circle) is even older.  Relatively new are the Memory Box leaves and sentiment.  Another retiree is the SU Subtle embossing folder which I used to texturize the card base.

I rather like how it came together with the teensy bit of dull gold shimmer cardstock for the sentiment and the accent under the leaf sprig, and I cannot complain about adding a Christmas card to my 2025 collection.

My Double D teamies have some lovely and creative samples to share with you, so pop over and have a look.  I hope to see the players' gallery aglow with white.

Have a happy day!

Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80# and 110#, dull gold satin metallic cardstock  Dies:  Cheery Lynn Peace Dove, Memory Box Leaf Bunches and Peace Cheshire Script, Spellbinders Blossom Nestabilities  Other:  Stampin' Up Subtle 3D embossing folder

Daisies and Denim

Hi there!  Another daisy card today.  I made two Lisa Horton Tall Daisies cards one right after the other.  This was the second.  This time I embossed, but did not cut.

I gave my hot pressed watercolor paper a spritz on both sides from the water bottle before embossing.  Heat dried, then commenced watercoloring with Tombow markers.  It looked like a hot pressed mess at times, but in the end I think it's safe to call it "artsy".  I did some splattering, added a decorative border.  Before I glued it down I also cut and embossed more daisies to layer underneath and help keep the top layer plumped up.  All that was layered over the 2013 designer paper which I vowed to use on every card until it was gone (getting close).  Lastly, I added the sentiment and a generous scattering of iridescent sequins up the side.

The Tall Daisies are now put away with the rest of the embossing folders.  Only a few (ahem) left waiting for their first turn.

Wishing you a wonderful day!

Stamps:  The Ton Easy Expressions  Paper:  Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb hot pressed watercolor, Neenah 110 lb white for sentiment and 80 lb for card base, SU Taken With Teal for border edge, My Mind's Eye Notable designer paper (2013)  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black for sentiment  Coloring:  Watercolor with Tombow markers  Other:  Lisa Horton Tall Daisies 3D embossing folder with die, Spellbinders A2 Bracket Borders One, Iridescent sequins

Mouse Party

Hello again and welcome back!

The optional theme at the Penny Black Saturday Challenge is "Something New".  It could be new anything, not just new craft stash, but I'm totally focused on my "new" craft stash and a whole lot of it is Penny Black stamps.  Today's stamps are Penny Black's Birthday Critters.  They're new to me and not yet used so I stamped and colored everything in the set and started with this card.

Are these mousies cute enough?  I love this card.  As always, it's so much cuter in real life.  You know how that goes, don't you?  I colored the whole set of critters with Copics and then hand cut.  Pretty easy cutting with these guys.  I made sure to use another scrap of the designer paper I've targeted to finish off.  A 6x6 pad goes on and on when you use only a small bit at a time, but a little bit can make a big difference.

From my stash are the Spellbinders Candles for Every Birthday embossing folder, the Penny Black Immense Enjoyment die, and the sentiment from Penny Black's Carefree Wishes stamp set.  The pictures tell most of the story as to what was done with the different elements.  I tried to capture the glitter on the candle flames in the photo below but, again, prettier in real life.

A third mouse from the set is sitting inside the card with another of the Carefree Wishes sentiments.

I see there's a new release coming from Penny Black.  I resisted their Christmas release, but I won't resist this one.  The flowers... gasp... so beautiful!

Penny Black Saturday Challenge -- Anything goes or "something new".  My Birthday Critters are new to me.
Of course, I'll have to send my never-been-used Birthday Critters over to Darnell's NBUS Challenge #70, too -- Never before used schtuff

 

Thank you for visiting.  Have a happy day!

Stamps:  Penny Black Birthday Critters and Carefree Wishes  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 lb & 110 lb, Stampin' Up Taken With Teal, My Mind's Eye Notable designer paper (2013)  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark for sentiment, Stampin' Up Apricot Appeal on background, Taken With Teal to sponge edges of tag  Coloring:  Copics  Other:  Penny Black Immense Enjoyment die, Poppystamps Main Street Stitched Tags, Spellbinders Candles for Every Birthday embossing folder, linen thread, WOW Bright White super fine embossing powder, Stardust Stickles, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Daisy Day

Hello and welcome to a new week on the blog!  I'm just playing again, still savoring this relatively quiet time in the new year.  Christmas is a beautiful season, but it can be a lot of work no matter how simple I try to keep it.  Nevermind that... today is a day for daisies and sunshine -- in my craft room, if not outside.

I pulled out my Lisa Horton Tall Daisies 3D embossing folder with die and used it for the first time.  I know... how long have I had it?  I've lost track.  Well, here it is now, embossed, cut, and colored, sitting on a blended background backed up with some 2013 designer paper I'm trying to finish off.

Can't say it's not cheerful!  It has a birthday greeting inside.  The little bit of coloring was done with inks and stencil brushes.  The mini-slimline card was covered edge to edge with my least favorite piece from the paper pad, and then it was left sitting in my card parts drawer for quite a while.  It's easier on the eyes with most of it covered.  Now I like it.

As for the daisies, they were embossed and die cut, then the inner parts hand cut with a craft knife.  Coloring was accomplished and then the daisies were embossed again.   Next, I cut and embossed a second set of daisies, but did not hand cut the inner parts.  Rather, I brushed with ink to match the background, then layered the first daisies over top and glued to the card.  It sounds like a lot and it probably was.  I have a gift for making things more complex than they need to be.

I'm happy to add my daisy card to Darnell's NBUS Challenge #70 (never before used schtuff).

Thanks for hanging in there with me!  Have a craft-happy day!

Stamps:  The Ton Easy Expressions (with dies)  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White, My Mind's Eye designer paper (2013)  Ink:  SU Taken with Teal background, various for coloring, Memento Tuxedo Black for sentiment  Coloring:  Inks and stencil brushes  Other:  Lisa Horton Tall Daisies 3D embossing folder with die, Spellbinders Long Classic Rectangles, Scotch brand foam mounting tape for sentiment

Just Be You

Hello, friends!  Here we are a few days into 2025 and now that the Christmas card rush is over I feel it's time to take a wander through my not-yet-used stamp stash and do some coloring.  Not all my stamps are mainstream, and most are not newly released, but it doesn't matter... I'm going to enjoy them.  The operative phrase here is, "just be you".

I found myself drawn to certain stamps in the Creative Expressions Designer Boutique collection.  Most in my collection are critters and flowers, and favorites among them are a combination of the two.  The regal fellow pictured below appears to have been browsing someone's gorgeous flower garden and come through the other side covered in blooms.

I stamped in Memento Toffee Crunch on Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White and colored with Copics.  After coloring I brushed around him a few spots of Stampin' Up Blush Blossom ink.  The sentiment and more comes with the Flowers & Antlers set.  He's a big guy, but his head and shoulders fit nicely on an A2 card.

Okay, so there's one from the coloring pile.  Only a bazillion more not-yet-colored stamps to go.  I also have that many not-yet-used dies and almost as many embossing folders yet to use.  Things got out of hand.  I won't even mention the designer papers... oops... I just mentioned them.  I'm not proud, but I will not feel guilty.  Are you with me?

Have a happy day, and remember to just be you.  See you again soon!

Stamps:  Creative Expressions Flowers & Antlers  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80#, kraft woodgrain  Ink:  Memento Toffee Crunch, Stampin' Up Blush Blossom  Coloring:  Copics, white acrylic paint for eye dots

Double D 9th Anniversary/Birthday Celebration

Happy new year, everyone, and happy anniversary/birthday to Double D!  This was the challenge blog that started it all for Diane and Darlene.  I've lost track of how many challenge blogs they now operate, but it's a lot!  Today we'd like to invite you to join us in celebrating the happy beginning.

Make an anniversary or birthday themed card or project and share it with us on the challenge blog.  You may be a random prize winner or a creative favorite.

I'm celebrating in my typical old-meets-new style with rainbow colors and presents and birthday wishes.  The Die-namites Hanging Presents is an older die from an out of business company, and the "happy birthday" is a newish-to-me Cottage Cutz die.  Seems they just sort of fell together on this mini-slimline card.

The dies are all two layers of 110 lb Neenah white with inks brushed on in rainbow fashion.  The stars popped out of the presents and the colors pop on black, so there you go.  Happy birthday Double D!

Come join us, and don't forget your party hat!  Have a happy day!

Candy Cane Mouse

Season's greetings!  Moving right along, I have two quick cards today.  I say quick because some of the parts were already made and awaiting their turn to be on a card.  Both cards feature the Cottage Cutz Candy Cane Mouse.  The sentiment is Cottage Cutz also.  Ready and waiting was the snowflake embossed background, a beautiful folder I've had for years.  I'd smooshed with white pigment ink to bring out the pattern in a soft and snowy way.

The mouse was brushed with inks to color.  Copics in some of the small parts.  Easy enough to make two of them.

For the second card, the base is 111 lb patterned cardstock which I'd previously cut and folded into a card.  I topped it with the already made Penny Black Crystal Frames(s).  I had also cut the frame with a separate stitched rectangle as the Crystal Frame does not cut an outer edge.  Placed the mouse on the inside edge of the frame, added a sentiment -- done!

Those spare card parts do help move things along when I remember to use them.  Merry merry!  Thank you for taking the time to visit!