1, 2, 3 Snowpeople for Christmas in July

Greetings, friends!  I couldn't let July get away from me without some Christmas cards, could I?  The CAS Christmas Challenge reminded me to finally play with The Snow Notes from Spellbinders which I loved at first sight and promptly added to my not-yet-used basket... and there they sat until now.

The first is a solitary snowman, hopefully CAS enough for the challenge.  I embossed with Tim Holtz Sizzix Snowfall folder and tucked him into a snow bank made with Poppystamps Stitched Cloudline.

CAS Christmas Challenge -- Snowman

The second card, below, is possibly my favorite.  The two of them are belting out a song which I'm sure is their sentiments exactly.  More of the Stitched Cloudline -- above them for clouds and below them for snow.  The falling snow comes from the button holes of all six snowpeople.

Last, but not least, we have all three of them caroling their hearts out.  The Starry Night is a Taylored Expressions cutting plate from way back.  Hmmm... maybe this one is my favorite?  I can't decide, not that it matters anyway.  They look somewhat like they're caroling in the clouds.  Snow angels?  

The three carolers are representing The Snow Notes as my never before used schtuff in Darnell's NBUS Challenge #88 -- Mutual Appreciation Celebration.  Check it out!

Total Christmas cards in the box:  20

This crafty interlude was a whole lot of fun!  I balk at making Christmas cards this time of year, but once I sit down to it I really enjoy it, especially when I've got something cute to work with.

Thank you, everyone, for stopping by.  Take care of yourselves and have a wonderful day!

Pretty Papers and Flowers

Hello and welcome!

I started with one card and ended up with three when I pulled out a pretty Zoju paper pad called Forest Dreams.  The first is teamed with Penny Black products -- see notes under photo.

Penny Black Love Blooms stamp set with dies, Serenity Edger, and Curved Stitch dies

I stamped with Ranger Archival Watering Can on hot press watercolor paper and colored with Tombow markers.  To finish, I dotted with Simply White Nuvo drops.  The Serenity Edger die set includes not only the edger, but this straight cut "Serenity" as well.  It's from their most recent release and I'm loving it a lot!

For the next card I wanted to use the butterfly paper, but I felt it needed a little something so I edged it with the flower buds from the PB Love Blooms set.  Then I fretted that the focal point was too ambiguous.  Was it the butterfly or the flower buds?  In the end I simply added the silver satin birthday sentiment and finished with sequins and Nuvo drops.

The paper was too pretty to put away just yet, so I let it shine on for one more card.  

Impression Obsession Fancy Cut Out Border
Sentiment from retired Power Poppy Floribunda stamp set

Since today's cards are mostly all about the pretty papers I'd like to play along here:

Love those Pretty Papers -- Anything goes with patterned paper as a prominent feature, or optional coastal.

*** Also ***

NBUS Challenge #88 -- My never before used schtuff is the Penny Black Serenity Edger die set.  Darnell is having a Mutual Appreciation Celebration this month.  She's pretty amazing to put this on.  Check it out on the challenge blog.  Thank you, Darnell!

I hope follow.it works this time.  It did not send my previous post, but maybe it will go through with this one.  Thank you for visiting!

Double D Challenge: Your Favorite Fruit

We have some colorful pickin's for you today at Double D!  Our theme is "Your Favorite Fruit".  Have a look at the inspiring deliciousness below:

Isn't it beautiful?  I do love fruit!  How can I pick a favorite?  I always have apples, bananas, and oranges in the house.  Fresh picked strawberries are indescribable.  Blackberries, salmonberries, thimble berries, huckleberries, and salal berries grow wild around our house and I love them all.  Blueberries are grown in abundance nearby and I can't get enough.  Mangos are definitely a favorite, especially the honey mangos.  Oh, and peaches, apricots, pineapple, cherries, grapes, kiwi, raspberries, pears.  Later this summer I'll be eating plums and figs off the tree at my BIL's house (but not too many figs).  That's just to name a few.  I could go on.  Oops, forgot cantaloupe and star fruit... somebody stop me!

But what would a summer picnic or barbeque be without watermelon?  Let's ask Flappy what he thinks:

 

I always say "love me, love my dog hair", but this might be a bit much.  However, even dogs need to beat the heat, and I know there are many people around the world trying to do just that this summer.  Flappy is a new-to-me Purple Onion favorite called Watermelon Chill.  I colored him with my Tombow markers and designed the card with mostly spare parts and scraps.  The "Stay cool" is from a retired Power Poppy set.

The screen is an Amazon find by way of Pinterest ad.  Those ads have gotten to me quite a few times now and I can't say I'm sorry.  I popped it up to help keep Flappy cooler.

That's it from me, friends!  Check out the team's favorite fruits at Double D, and then pick yours and share it, too.  Have a happy day!

Stamps:  Purple Onion Watermelon Chill, retired Power Poppy Forest Fellas sentiment  Paper:  Hammermill Premium 100 lb white, Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb watercolor, BasicGrey June Bug designer paper  Ink:  Ranger Archival Jet Black for Flappy, Memento Tuxedo Black for sentiment  Coloring:  Tombow markers  Dies:  Lapoo Geometric Circle, Taylored Expressions Ric Rac Borders, Memory Box Stitched Circle Layers, Cottage Cutz Flowers  Other:  1" circle punch for sentiment, Scotch brand foam mounting tape, Stampin' Up Subtle 3D embossing folder for card base

Daisies for a Lovely Friend

Hello again and happy Monday!

I sure have been having fun with my Spellbinders flowers lately.  These funky Fresh Picked Daisies are another set that's been in the not-yet-used basket too long.  I'm trying to turn over a new leaf and get caught up.  I wonder how many times I've said that.

Easy coloring this time with Copics.  I pulled a background from my bag 'o backgrounds.  It's a soft piece that resulted from pressing regular Hammermill cardstock into inks left over from a watercolor.  The sentiment is Penny Black.  The sequins are peach colored.  Everything is listed in the recipe at the end.

This card is already in the mail to a lovely friend.

Can you tell I'm hurrying?  It's a beautiful day as I write this and the garden needs me.  I hope you're having a beautiful day, too!

Stamps:  Penny Black Loveliness sentiment  Paper:  Hammermill Premium 100 lb  white, something textured for the card base -- possibly SU Apricot Appeal(?)  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black for sentiment  Coloring:  Copics  Dies:  Spellbinders Fresh Picked Daisies, Hemstitch Rectangles  Other:  Sequins, foam dots

Nice Little Mice

Hi there, and welcome back!

It's been a few days since I posted.  Just busy with life stuff as well as making cards for later.  Today's cards are just for play.

I pulled another not-yet-used item from my use-next basket.  This time it's a stamp set, an older, but new-ish to me Penny Black set called Especially Micey.  I've now used every stamp in the set and I'm feeling good about that!

The first card is simple and clean with the "wish", the leafy vine, and the flower from my oldie stash.  I figured the Aster die could double as a dandelion if I colored it yellow.  The bee was in my spare parts and the designer paper is years old.  I'm trying to use it up, but it just goes on and on.

The second card uses more of that designer paper, along with one of my Stamping Bella Spec-tacular sentiments.  I added a fern die, and some Nuvo drops.

My first card is heading over to Simply Clean & Simple where the theme this month is "Birthday". 

Card #2 is going to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge where the theme is anything goes or "On the Move".  I made the second card for last month's PBSC to use patterned paper, but I was too late so I'll go with the anything goes option this month.

 

Thank you for visiting today.  I'll try not take so long before I pop in here again.  

Stamps:  Penny Black Especially Micey, Fiskars Make a Wish Quotes (1st card), Stamping Bella Spec-tacular sentiment (2nd card)  Paper:  Hammermill Premium 100 lb white (1st), Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb watercolor & SU Poppy Parade (2nd), old Memory Box Brioche designer paper (both cards)  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black & SU Soft Sky (1st), Ranger Archival Jet Black (2nd)  Coloring:  Copics (1st), Tombow markers and blender (2nd)  Dies:  Heartfelt Creations Delicate Asters, Poppystamps Diana Border, Memory Box Buzzing Bumblebees (1st card), Spellbinders Hemstitch Rectangles, MayJoyDIY Ferns (2nd card)  Other:  White acrylic paint (1st), Sugared Almond Nuvo Drops (2nd card)

Double D Challenge: Potpourri

Hello friends!  Double D Diane has a fun Potpourri board for you today -- anything goes that's somehow inspired by the board.  Have a look:

What's not to love?  I focused on the colorful candies in the lower right corner and was inspired to make some pink lemons.  That's where pink lemonade comes from, right?  I even made a pink lemonade butterfly.  Isn't it fun?

Well, it was fun for me.  The pretty lattice frame and butterfly have been with me for a long while, but the Sizzix sentiment and the Lawn Fawn Zesty Lemons are newish to me.  However, I confess the lemons have been in the not-yet-used basket for at least a year.  I adore everything in those baskets and I often wonder what takes me so long to get around to them, but it has occurred to me that anticipation is half the fun.  Can we agree?

All the coloring was done with inks and brushes.  So much crafty joy!

I know you'll enjoy the Double D team's inspired samples.  I can't wait to see yours!  Have a happy day!

Dies:  Lawn Fawn Zesty Lemons, Sizzix Happy Birthday to You, Marianne Designs Anja's Oval, Impression Obsession Medium Butterflies

Weekend Update

When you don't have grandkids... 

I hope you don't mind a few photos of my other obsession -- Sophie and Ridley.  They're the biggest part of my life these days.

Thank goodness for them.  I'd like to think they're living their best life because they sure make mine a whole lot better.

Love

💕

Southwest Greetings

Hello friends!

Moving right along to more not-yet-used supplies, in this case it's the Tim Holtz Funky Cactus set.  I thought the set was cute and different and, the fact is, I needed a thank you card for some friends who treated us to Mexican dinner.  So...

I reached into my drawerful of southwest style woodblock stamps that haven't been touched in ages.  I still love them a lot and that's why they haven't been purged.  The frame image here is an ancient Anita's stamp with no name on it.  It's all one big woodblock stamp and in order to make it a multi-color image I stamped in a light, but easily visible Copic-friendly ink, and then colored over the lines with Copics.  I think it makes a super cute frame for the cacti.

Here's an extra picture so you can see the before and after:

I've been wanting to play along with Amy Tsuruta's Woodblock Wednesday challenge which falls on the last Wednesday of each month and it's only open a few days (maybe 5?).  I'm not good with short term challenges, but I was ready for this one.

Woodblock Wednesday -- Must use a woodblock stamp.

Also:

Neglected Stuff Challenge -- All of my southwest stamps have been neglected far too long.
NBUS Challenge #87 -- My never before used schtuff is the Tim Holtz Funky Cactus die set.

 

I don't usually post two days in a row, let alone three, but tomorrow I'll be here again.  Sorry, not cards, but maybe you won't mind a few pics of Sophie and Ridley.

Enjoy your day!