Power Poppy Black Friday Sale

Just a heads up to all Black Friday shoppers:

Holy moly, it goes all the way through Sunday at midnight Central Standard time!  Sale includes all in-stock merchandise:  Clear stamps, digital stamps, and dies.  Now is the the time to stock up at 30% off using discount code STOCKUP30.

Enjoy, and happy day to all!

Double D Challenge: Snuggle Up Buttercup

It's Double D Challenge time and we're asking you to Snuggle Up, Buttercup, and get cozy with your crafting.  Be inspired by the mood board to pull out whatever supplies you have to make the creation of your choice.  I'm thinking in terms of Christmas cards, so here's what I did:

In our mood board below you can see it was the red and green plaid and the comfy knitted items that inspired me.

Creative winners are selected by team vote, and a prize will go to a random winner:

So, about that sweater... my friend, Connie, sent me some pages from a desktop coloring calendar to try before I buy, and this sweater was one of them.  She warned me the paper was very thin and not so easy for Copic coloring, but I solved that problem by scanning and printing actual size onto X-Press It Blending Card.  Hooray, it worked!

I mixed up the background with a snowflake-embossed red panel and some gingham over the plaid, tucked in a tag, and trimmed with a stitched scalloped edge.  The snowflakes on the sweater printed black, of course, but I went over them with the ultra-fine tip of a red Stampin' Up! marker.  I use those markers a lot for detail like this.  Gold snowflakes for sparkle.  The sentiment is a Stampin' Up! oldie.  Full recipe is below my signature.

There are some super fun team samples on the Double D blog.  I see Darlene and I had almost exactly the same idea, and some of the girls used a cable knit embossing folder that I'm now coveting.  There are kitties and a puppy and mugs of warm brew... so much inspiration.  Enjoy, and I'll see you again soon!

Stamps:  Calendar page sweater, SU All Year Cheer I  Paper:  X-Press It Blending Card, SU Very Vanilla heavy weight, kraft, SU Poppy Parade, gold glitter card stock, Graphic 45 Raining Cats & Dogs designer paper  Ink:  Printer, SU Chocolate Chip, SU red marker, Copics for coloring  Accessories:  Cuttlebug Snowflakes embossing folder,  Fiskars Scallop Paper Edgers (scissors), Poppystamps Stitched Main Street Tags, Spellbinders Create-a-Flake Five

Twofer Wreath Challenge

Hello on a Monday, friends!  Yippee skippee, I got some cards made in time for the November Twofer Challenge.  Two different designs for two different occasions using the same stamps, stencils, and/or dies.  The prompt this month is "Wreath".  We're supposed to photograph the two cards together for the link up, so I've done that first.

Thinking I could make some quick cards with no coloring, SU's Wondrous Wreath was the first stamp set to pop into my head.  I made the Christmas card first, stamping and turning and stamping multiple times, but still had some blank spots due to a flawed stamp that SU did not want to replace (grrrr), so filled in with die cut Poinsettias and a bow.  Lots of stamping, die cutting, gluing, applying Stickles.  A clean and simple and not so quick card.  Ultimately, I like how it turned out.

The second card was much quicker.  I used only one stamp from the multi-stamp set, whereas I used three on the first card.  Gee, I hope that's okay for the challenge.  It's the same stamp, two different ways, right?   In this case, the flawed part of the stamp is under the gingham designer paper, and I stamped it three times in a row, somewhat like a garland.  Added little flowers punched from glitter paper.  Rhinestone centers.  The flower on the sentiment has die cut leaves.

Honestly, if it wasn't for the Twofer Challenge I may not have ever used this wreath again, but now I love it to pieces because of that sweet garland.  You just never know.

Supplies listed below.  Have a happy day!

Stamps:  SU Wondrous Wreath, Your Next Stamp Whatnot Sentiments Eleven (thinking of you)  Paper:  SU Whisper White and Cameo Coral, Coral glitter paper, Bazzill tan, Prima Julie Nutting designer paper  Ink:  SU Wild Wasabi and Garden Green, Memento Tuxedo Black  Accessories:  Black Stickles and gold Stickles (Christmas), rhinestones, flower punch (thinking of you card)  Dies:  Memory Box Seraphine Laurel (Poinsettias), Impression Obsession Large Bow,  Sue Wilson Pierced Flags, Taylored Expressions Ric Rac Borders, Impression Obsession Leaf Cluster

Garden and Nature

On Goldens and Garden today:

Thank you!

Introducing Snowdrops and Tea Roses

There's a delightful new digital stamp set release at Power Poppy today.  It's called Snowdrops and Tea Roses and, ohhhh, how pretty it is!  I printed the no-line version not too large so I could color the whole dainty, delicate, lovely thing.

Marcella's notes:

"The first in a series of bouquets nestled inside vintage French café au lait bowls. Festive enough for Christmas cards; cozy enough for a winter’s afternoon coloring session. This scene features a trio of hybrid tea roses arranged with crisp white snowdrops and variegated holly. Be open and adventurous with your coloring, ie: berries can be white/pink/light green if you are using red roses. Holly doesn't always have to be red. Remember, we are making the picture, nature is just one of our inspirations. 

Digital download includes a no line version, and two merry sentiments.

A few tea rose varieties to use as inspirations to make this bouquet especially festive: 'Bewitched' (pale pink), 'Neil Diamond' (red-and-white streaked), 'Cinnamon Dolce' (dark red with pink streaks), 'Gemini' (creamy center with coral pink edges), 'World War II Memorial Rose' (light pink with tinges of red)."

I used Prismacolor pencils for today's card, and not my usual way of blending with odorless mineral spirits.  Rather, I blended one pencil into another, coloring over and over.  I do love the control and detail with pencils.  Fun for a change!  The background was done with Copic markers.

I cropped one of the sentiments and tucked it up close, then framed and finished.  One more done for Christmas!

Please visit the Power Poppy blog for more from Marcella and a link list to all the Instant Gardeners' gorgeous creations with Snowdrops and Tea Roses.  Thanks much for your visit.  Hugs and happy day!

Stamps:  Power Poppy Snowdrops and Tea Roses digital set  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Mintay Christmas Stories designer paper  Ink:  Printer  Coloring:  Prismacolor Pencils, Copics in background only  Accessories:  Impression Obsession All-In-One-Frames-Oval, Poppystamps Prim and Proper Bow

Playing along with Mojo Monday Sketch

I was so happy to see the return of the Mojo Monday sketch challenge which is now every other Monday on Julee's own beautiful blog.  The current challenge is here.  There's nothing clean and simple about my card, but it was relatively quick to make because I had the sketch and stamp all picked out.  Loving on an old Plum Purdy today.

Pictured below is the sketch I used.

I followed the sketch closely, with only minor adjustments to make everything fit.  I cut out the Copic colored image so it could overlap the circle, rather than making a larger circle.  Extra sunflowers colored and cut from two additional images, with die cut leaves added.

Burlap paper, ribbon trim, an embossed card base barely peeking out from behind... these are a few of my favorite things about card crafting.  Designer paper, coloring, die cuts, sigh...  a room full of goodies.  Don't you just love stamping?

I will be back tomorrow with something new from Power Poppy.  I've had it colored quite a while and waiting to share.  Otherwise... despite circumstances, I'm pretty sure I'll make time for stamping.  Can't stay away, so hoping I'll see you next week.  Take care, and have a happy day!

CAS Santa

Monday greetings!  Card crafting slowed down when I decided to make gardening and housework and grocery shopping a priority for the time being.  I know, it's not nearly as much fun, but a necessity.  However, I still popped into my room a little bit each day so I could make a card for the current CAS Christmas Card Challenge.  The prompt this time is "Santa".  How could I resist the opportunity to use this darling Stamping Bella "Santa Has a Prezzie"?

How they describe CAS:

- clean (uncluttered) cohesive design

- must include white "or open" space (no pattern)

- minimal layers and embellishments

I think this qualifies, seeing as how CAS refers more to the design than to how much time you spent getting it that way.

Santa is colored with Copics and cut out.  I added white pearl pen sprinkled with microfine glitter to his hat and coat trim.  I isolated each "Ho" in the sentiment and circle punched -- 1/2", 5/8", 3/4".  Layered each punched circle onto a second circle for dimension, then lightly colored with a blue Copic and added Glossy Accents.  Arranged the circles to suggest Santa's laughter is receding into the distant mountains.  A sentiment is not considered an embellishment, but it sort of turned into an embellishment, didn't it?

Dies are Poppystamps Stitched Landscapes and Stitched Majestic Mountains.

Gosh, this was fun.  Fingers crossed that I'll be back soon.  Glad you stopped by!

Right at Home

On Goldens and Garden today.

Thank you!