Double D Challenge: Focus on the Sentiment

Welcome back for another Double D Challenge, friends.  We're making the sentiment the star of the show this time.  Darlene has prepared the following inspiration board for us:

FOCUS ON THE SENTIMENT

Your card doesn't have to be black and white, but wouldn't that be easy?  I think it would look pretty great, too.  As it happens, I had the parts already prepared for two of these cards, so I simply put them together.  I used a digital sentiment from the recently out-of-business Sparkle 'n Sprinkle.

Now... there's one thing I have to point out and ask you about:  I added the heart, which I think is a pretty part of the design, but after I saw the photograph I couldn't help but think it looks like a heart with leafy antlers.  Does it look weird to you?  Am I over-thinking this?  I could probably fix it somehow, but I can't decide if it needs to be fixed.

Next photo is the inside of the card with a coordinating digital sentiment.

Be sure and stop over to Double D to see some very nice team samples.  Maybe I'll see you in the gallery.  Hope so!  Have a beautiful day!

Just When You Thought it was Safe to Go Back in the Water

Okay, friends...  when I was over at Frantic Stamper shopping for a mermaid tail a few extra things jumped into my cart.  You see, I was searching for sentiments to go with my mermaid tail when I spotted the sentiment set I used on today's cards -- Shaaaark!  Wait, what?  Well... the set does have one sentiment that says "Have a fin-tastic day", but it also led me to three more die sets that I felt I (ahem) really needed.

First up here is Happy Shark.  I combined it with dies from my stash -- Memory Box Stitched Circle Layers and KaiserCraft Decorative Anchors.  A little designer paper.  I wanted to keep it ultra-CAS just to see if I could.

I don't have anything against sharks, but I'm not a super fan, either.  However, I thought these would make good cards for boys from kidhood to adulthood.  Truthfully, I was having so much fun with this shark I had a hard time putting it away.

The next card incorporates another new die set -- Making Waves.  It's 5 separate dies which can be used in different combinations.  It's my first wave die set and I think this one will cover all needs.  Additionally, from my stash are Cottage Cutz Rope Corners and a party hat which I cut from an embossing folder.  I colored with a red Copic and added silver Stickles glitter.

Lastly, another die set called Tails and Fin, which includes a shark fin and two sizes of whale tails.  Aren't they a necessity in every die collection?  Maybe not, but I've been wanting to do more nautical/beachy/ocean-type cards.  For this one I added a stamped sun, a balloon, and swirly embossing which suggests a windy day.

That's enough shark cards for now, but I'll get back to it.  More of everything coming soon.  Am I having fun yet?  You bet!  Have a happy day!

On Goldens and Garden

We're traveling through Nevada on Goldens and Garden today.  Hope you can come along.

Thank you!

Thanks

Hello there!  I've been crafting my fool head off.  I don't know about you, but when I get on a roll I just have to go with it.  All these new things sitting on my desk are making me want to get a move on.

Today's card was easy because the stamped parts were already colored and die cut.  I used WPlus9 Hello & Thanks and finished off the last of the images I colored while we were camping in July.  I have another card I'll share later, too.  Today it's very clean and simple with just a blush of blue on the card base and the die cut images arranged over that.

The blue ink on the card base is SU's Bashful Blue, applied with one of my Beauty Kate make up blending brushes.  The card base is Neenah 110 lb Classic Crest so it's very sturdy without layering.

Easy stamps to color and a card that went together very quickly.  I think I like that idea!  See you again soon!

Twofer Card Challenge #20: Critters

Welcome to another Twofer Card Challenge!  We're doing Critters this time around and, oh, my goodness, do I ever have a lot of critter stamps.  I hope you have something in your collection of stamps, dies, or stencils so you can play along, too!

I have critter stamps I haven't used yet... so many choices... I decided to use a Laurel Burch Stampendous stamp called Rainbow Safari to make a "hello" card and a birthday card.  I love this stamp so much and I'm hanging my head that I haven't used it till now.  Well, gee, I've recently added more Laurel Burch to my collection so I'd better get busy with the coloring.

I made the birthday card all fanciful and very colorful.  I pulled a shaded Oxide ink background panel from my stash and stenciled some leaves over top of it (Carte Bella Wander & Find).  Added a sentiment from another Laurel Burch set - Fish Wishes - and a die cut leaf.  More stenciling, faintly, on the sentiment panel.

The "hello" card is rather clean and simple.  I cropped the image and changed the layout, or design, by repositioning the image panel and sentiment in relation to each other.  Framed it with an older and probably retired Memory Box Jasmine Frame.  Cut the "hello" with a much newer Die-namics #captions die.

So there you have my Twofers... now let's see yours!  Check out more fun samples on the Twofer Challenge Blog.  Thank you!

On Goldens and Garden

"Traveling the West, Part One" on Goldens and Garden today.

I'm sharing the first few pics from our August trip.  Hope you can stop by.  Thanks!

Amaryllis and Jasmine

Back in the swing of things...  I realized it was time to get more Christmas cards done so I disciplined myself to settle into it.  I have several not-yet-used Power Poppy Christmas sets from their 2018 release and that's what I'm working with this year.  Today's cards use Amaryllis Bliss and the coordinating die set.  One of the nice things about this set is that it really doesn't have to be just for Christmas.

For the first card I used the amaryllis blooms and greenery.  Colored with Copics and arranged on the designer paper-covered card base.  Additional supplies are listed below each picture.

(Paper:  Fabriano Artistico bright white watercolor, vanilla card base (under designer paper), Webster's Pages Waiting for Santa designer paper  Ink:  Memento London Fog (for image), Memento Bamboo Leaves and Tuxedo Black  Accessories:  Red rhinestones, Scotch brand foam mounting tape  Other dies:  Die-namics Stitched Rectangle Frames, Spellbinders Lacy Pennants)

For the second card I used the greenery and the Jasmine sprigs to make a wreath.  I die cut a ring first and arranged the wreath elements over that.  Added a glittery bow and designer paper from the same pack.

(Supplies as previously specified, plus Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White cardstock and gold glitter cardstock.  Additional dies:  SU Wonderful Wreath Framelits Noel, Poppystamps Lovely Gift Bow)

Total Christmas cards so far this year:  22

Back in March this total might have sounded like good progress, but it's September.  I have quite a few more cards to make, but no worries.  It always gets done.  Have a happy day!

Be a Mermaid

Oh, happy day, after a 3-week abstinence I got to play in my room!  That's a long time to go without getting crafty, don't you think?  This card is a great bundle of little things... the kind of card that grew on it's own and became much more than I'd originally planned.

It started with the sentiment.  It's a digital gift that Donna Ellis shared on her blog here (scroll to the end after you get there).  I've always loved this sentiment, whether it applies to a mermaid or a unicorn.  Would you believe I have neither mermaids nor unicorns in my collection?  Soooo... before our vacation I went on a search and (ahem) ended up with quite a few things in addition to this mermaid tail.  I know that you know how that happens.

The sentiment, the mermaid tail, and the stencil with which I made the water are all new to me.  Everything else is from my stash (clouds, swirls, Nuvo Jewel Drops).  The mermaid tail was inked with Distress Oxides, then smooshed with Versamark and embossed with an iridescent embossing powder.  The panel of stenciled water was cut apart and the darker water in the foreground popped up.  A hint of very light blue Copic (B0000) was added to the clouds and swirls.

Supply list can be found at the end under my signature.

Thank you, Donna, for this beautiful digital sentiment, and thank you all for stopping by today.   I hope to be back soon and, in the meantime, I hope you're enjoying your days in whatever way you choose to spend them.  By the way, I just have to say this:  I cannot believe it's September already!  Happy almost fall!

Stamps:  Digital sentiment from Donna Ellis here  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White  Ink:  Distress Oxide Salty Ocean, Twisted Citron, Picked Raspberry, Seedless Preserves  Coloring:  Copics  Accessories:  Iridescent embossing powder (old), Nuvo Sea Breeze Jewel Drops, Echo Park Sail Away stencil  Dies:  Frantic Stamper Mermaid Tail and Trio of Swirls, Poppystamps Twirly Clouds