Christmas in July

We've reached the halfway mark, friends -- Christmas.  It's just what you want to think about right now, isn't it?  Well, I hope to be more ready than last year.  This trio of cards was made with an older Penny Black stamp called Adornment.

The first card was almost a throw away.  At this point I don't remember what I did to make myself love it more, but it's probably my favorite of the bunch now.  Stamped in light brown, Spica glitter pens were used to color the bow and baubles.  I didn't capture the sparkle in the photo, but it's lovely.  A star die cut from gold glitter paper accents the bow.

The next wreath was stamped in Versamark and embossed with gold glitter embossing powder.  I added a die cut bow for fun

Lastly, I have a wreath stamped first in green, then stamped again in Versamark and embossed in white.  A green bow was added with Wink of Stella Shimmer.  The baubles on this one were touched with Platinum Stickles glitter glue.

A closer look:

I'd like to do more with this wreath, but I need to move on.  I have so many new Christmas dies and some new-to-me Christmas digis to get to.  I'll list the main ingredients below.  Enjoy your day!

Stamps:  Penny Black Adornment  Designer Paper:  Studio Light Woodland Winter  Dies:  Impression Obsession Holiday Bottom Word Edgers, Cottage Cutz Double Stitched Square Set, Poppystamps Prim and Proper Bow, Die-namics Star Stax  Other:  Gold embossing tinsel, white embossing powder, Atyou Spica glitter pens, Wink of Stella

Scraps and NBUS

Hello and welcome!

As I was filing away yet another scrap of textured cardstock (all sorted in bags by color) I decided I finally had to do something about the overstuffed bag situation.  Just one card, but it's a start.  The 1" wide strips were corner punched on one end.  I scored a line on the white card base to help keep things even, and then I added the rest -- some scraps of designer paper, an old Rubbernecker sentiment, and a not-yet-colored digi that's been in my box for a long time .  This one is a Bugaboo oldie called 4 Square Floral.

Before there were dies I relied on punches and decorative edge scissors to do the fancy work.  To save space in my stamp room I've given up most of those items, but a few have survived the purges.  Pictured below is the lower edge of the card inside.  The flower is a Poppystamps Flower Stack die.

Since my Bugaboo digi is NBUS I'm sending this card over to Darnell's NBUS Challenge #16.

Thank you for coming today!

Life in the Garden

On Goldens and Garden today:

Lots more garden pics there.  Stop by!   Wishing all who celebrate a happy and safe Independence Day weekend!

Seeds of Today

Hello!  Quick Copic coloring for today's card.  One by one I'm catching up on my not-yet-colored Power Poppy digis.  This one is Seeds of Today.  Marcella initially created this digi set with graduation celebrations in mind, and it does come with the appropriate sentiment for that, but I'm seeing it in a different light today.  Whether we plant the seeds of pretty flowers, or those of bitter fruits, we all reap what we sow.

I finished with a scalloped valance and a yellow mat.  Just simple.  Minimal supplies are listed below.  Have a beautiful day!

Stamps:  Power Poppy 'Seeds of Today' digital stamp  Paper:  X-Press It Blending Card, yellow, BasicGrey Origins designer paper  Ink:  Printer  Coloring:  Copics  Dies:  Spellbinders Scored and Pierced Rectangles, Serendipity by Impression Obsession Heart Scroll Valance

Happy Songbird

Hi, there!  I'm getting a late start on the week again... always with so many big ideas and not enough time for all of them.  Know what I mean?  I'm sure you do.

I have a happy card today and it's with a brand new-to-me Penny Black stamp from the adorable set called Songbird Celebrations.  It's dated 2020, but PB has so many new releases I feel like this stamp is already old.  I've got a thing for bird stamps, and all the better if they're cute, whimsical birds that can be colored any old which way.  

Keeping it simple, I sponged Peacock Feathers and Twisted Citron distress inks on a 110 lb white card base.  Splattered with water, then added some green sprinkles.  Placed my colored and fussy cut image as shown.  The sentiment is from another Penny Black set called Be Happy.

I hope this card makes you feel happy.  It worked for me!  Hugs! 

Cherry Sweet Thoughts

Hello, again!  Popping in with the one other bit of coloring I accomplished this week -- a Power Poppy digital stamp from the set called Cherries and Berries.  My cherries look a little moody today, but this set really is so sweet and pretty and perky.  The thing is... this is the last of my coloring on Cryogen ivory cardstock.  For this one I applied a ripple filter to the image before printing, and then used my Copics in a smooshy manner, like smooshy pointillism.

Yes, I know... it has a weirdly stylized look.  Still not crazy about this paper for Copics.

To cheer up my moody cherries I added a sentiment from a retired clear set and accented with gingham paper and a striped faux enamel dot.  The faux enamel dot is made with two 1/4" punched circles -- one of 110 lb cardstock and one of striped designer paper.  Glued in place and coated with Glossy Accents. 

If you want to see some pretty fabulous cards, check out these by my Power Poppy teamies:

Allison Cope

Kathy Jones

Barbara Campbell

Gloria Stengel

Thanks so much for your time.  Now go forth and enjoy the rest of your day!

Picture Perfect Sloth

Hi, there!  I'm happy to see you again this week.  I thought I might skip blogging this week in exchange for simply coloring, but that didn't happen.  How is it that the weeks go by so quickly?  I've been outside planting flowers rather than sitting at my coloring table or the computer.

Nevertheless, I did finish one card.  It's a quickie and a cutie.  I've had this MFT Picture Perfect set for over a year and I've only colored one of its six image stamps... Wait... what?  How is it that the years go by so quickly?  I guess my stamp buying spree goes back further than I thought.  Still trying to catch up.  Will it ever happen?

I made this clean and simple -- bright on white with some cute and glittery die cut leaves and a punched heart.  I'll list everything below.

I'll be coloring more of this set soon, seeing as how I stamped it all out so it would be sure and get done.  It's too cute to leave it lay dormant.  Why do we do that?  This post is full of questions, isn't it?

I'm playing along at NBUS Challenge #15 with my never before used sloth.

Thanks for coming to visit!  Have a great day!

Stamps:  MFT Picture Perfect  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 & 100 lb, DCWV Animal Crackers matstack (dated 2008, sheesh!)  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black  Coloring:  Copics  Dies:  MFT Die-namics Wild Greenery and MFT Die-namics #Captions  Other:  Heart punch, linen thread

Dahlia Display

Welcome to Friday!  It's a Dahlia kind of day, I think.  It sure felt good to watercolor some flowers this week.  I'm sharing Power Poppy's Dazzling Display digital stamp watercolored with Tombow markers on Fabriano Artistico 140 lb extra white paper.

Keeping it simple, I matted onto SU Lovely Lilac to match the dahlia, then glued flat to a white card.  One of the sequins is covering up a smudge on the sentiment.  My printer ink is great for watercoloring IF I lighten the image first.  I printed the flowers in no-line and the sentiment full strength.  I thought I was being careful, but apparently I dripped some water on the sentiment.  I wasn't able to correct all the smudges, but the sequin helped a little.

There's more to see here:

Broni Holcombe
Lisa Johansen

That wraps up the week here, friends.  I'll be back next week if cards happen.  Take good care of yourself!