Kitchen Dresses

Hello at last!  I finished up a few things on my stamping to-do list so I'll be able to pop in with a little something now and then.  I go on spells where I do everything but stamping for a while and get all caught up, then I spend some time stamping and get behind in everything else again, sheesh.

I promised a friend I'd make some of these kitchen dress cards for her.  The first two are blank inside so she can use them for whatever.  The die set is Frantic Stamper's Kitchen Dress A2 Card Maker.  The back of each card is the same designer paper as the front.  I cut two white liners, as well, for sturdiness.

Another item checked off my to-do list is this month's Christmas card.  Nothing like waiting till the last minute!  Below are two kitchen dresses with a Christmas theme -- one for me and one for my friend.  Her choice.  Inside is the sentiment "Sweet holiday wishes".  My Christmas dress card will most likely be delivered to my former workplace with a batch of homemade goodies.

It's hard to stop once I get started with this die set because the dresses all come out so cute, but I had to make time for the next project.  I'll come back Friday with more just in case you're of a mind to visit.  I sure do love it when you stop by.  Have a good week!

Sweet Treats

Happy Monday, stamper friends!  We've been having some sunshine and it's making me feel all cheery.  Even when I'm not outside basking in it it's so wonderful to see the rooms suffused with all that beautiful light.  I hope you're getting to enjoy it where you are, too.

Speaking of cheery, today's card is a happy thing I made for one of my June birthdays.  I've had both the treat tier and sentiment stamps for, oh... about SEVEN YEARS and am just now getting around to using them for the first time.  Really.  Seven years.  When I figured it out I was shocked.  I bought them specifically for each other, thought they were so cute and still do.  Sheesh.  Oh, well... ever since I made up my mind to focus on the not yet used stamps and supplies it's as though I've saved up years worth of Christmas presents and am finally opening them.  And they're all stamping supplies!  How fun is that?!

The treats are Stampendous and the sentiment is Impression Obsession, but they look like they were made for each other.  I watercolored with Gansai Tambi paints, added glitter, and dotted the strawberries with a white gel pen.  The tier is painted all silver-shimmery.

The DCWV papers come pre-glittered.  This particular mat stack (years old) is called "Baby Girl", but is mostly multipurpose.  I've used it many times and still have lots left.  Those mat stacks are packed full!

Well, I must run for now.  I'll list ingredients below.  Have a sweet day!

Stamps:  Stampendous Tiers of Treats, Impression Obsession sentiment  Paper:  140 lb Arches hot press watercolor, white card base, Memory Box Granny Smith card stock, DCWV Nana's Nursery Baby Girl designer paper  Ink:  Palette Noir  Coloring Medium:  Gansai Tambi watercolor paints  Accessories:  Stickles Stardust glitter glue, white gel pen, enamel dot, Fiskars scallop edge scissors, Heartfelt Creations Delicate Asters dies

Flowers Galore Double D Challenge

Welcome back!  It's Double D time and Team Darlene is bringing you a flower lovers challenge.  The theme is Flowers Galore, and the idea is to use more than one flower on your card.  The more, the merrier!

Well, you know me... when it comes to "flowers galore" I think "Power Poppy" so I reached for one of my not yet used Power Poppy digis.  This one is called Flower Bomb, and it is the bomb!

I lightened and softened the image before I printed it, then colored with Copic markers.  Not quite no line, but almost.  See our inspiration board below:

And a prize for a random winner:

Please visit the Double D blog for more details and to see awesome team samples, including many from Team Diane.  Who can resist that inspiration board?

I gave the entire image panel a pink tint with a little darker shading closer to the image.  Added pink dots around it and dotted the dots with Stickles Stardust glitter.  After all that was done I embossed the panel with a not yet used Darice Ivy Corner embossing folder which I then carefully colored with a green Copic.  The sentiment is from Power Poppy's Best Day Ever clear stamp set.

I even used some ribbon.  The image panel is popped up and the ribbon knot is set with tacky glue into a punched hole to eliminate the lump.  Makes for smooth sailing through the mail.

I hope you can play along in our Flowers Galore Challenge.  I know the entries will be a joy to behold.  Have a happy day!

Stamps:  Power Poppy Flower Bomb digi and Best Day Ever clear stamp set  Paper:  X-Press It Blending Card, Bazzil textured green  Ink:  Printer, Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics for coloring  Accessories:  Offray ribbon, Darice Ivy Corner embossing folder, Stickles Stardust glitter glue, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Altenew Daffodil

Greetings friends!  Who knew I'd be so long between posts?  Not I.  First one thing and then another kept me from my happy place, and not all of it was very much fun.  Think "mail theft" and "bank account" and you might get an idea of what I've been dealing with.  'Nuff said on that!

If I stay away from stamping too long I get out of the groove.  It gets more difficult.  Know what I mean?  I thought I'd ease back in with something simple and relaxing.  I bought this Altenew Wishing You set for the sentiments -- lots to work with there.  However, it also comes with this pretty daffodil and a hummingbird.  I couldn't fit the hummingbird on my A2 card, but here's the daffodil and one of the many sentiment combos.

After embossing the daffodil in white I watercolored with Gansai Tambi paints on Strathmore Vellum Surface mixed media paper.  Watercoloring on this paper is a different experience, but I like it for a change.  I also did some light smooshing and splattering, but because I wanted a soft and airy look I kept that to a minimum.

I smooshed aqua paint on the die cut corner, too.  Lastly, the sentiment was stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.

I'll be back on Wednesday with something I made before all the bad stuff happened.  Hopefully everything will be back to normal soon.  Have a happy day!

Stamps:  Altenew Wishing You  Paper:  Strathmore Mixed Media Vellum Surface, Bazzill textured  Ink:  Versamark, Versafine Onyx Black  Coloring medium:  Gansai Tambi watercolor paints  Accessories:  Die-namites Scrolly Corner die

One for Grandma and One for Baby

Hi, friends!  I have two cards today.  I was going to do two posts, but they're related and similar, so I combined them.  Quite a few photos, but photos are fun, aren't they?

My grandma-to-be friend asked for an elephant baby card for her mom-to-be daughter.  I have a few elephant stamps and digis, but only a couple of them work for baby cards.  The cutest of my ellies are from Wild Rose Studio.  They aren't actually for baby cards, but I couldn't resist coloring up one of them, anyway.  So, the first card here is just for my friend to tell her daughter how happy she is about the news.

Bella with Posy:

The sentiment is from an older MFT set -- Because You're Special.

I colored with Copics on X-Press It Blending Card using gender-neutral colors.  Added glitter to the flowers because my friend would have a fit if there was no glitter.

These are the Copics I used:

Next is the actual baby card.  It's relatively clean and simple, but it has some fun elements.  I like how the embossed card base and the little punched flowers match.

The elephant is from an old Our Craft Lounge (out of business) set called Circus Circus, and the sentiment is an even older A Muse stamp.

True story:  I spent all afternoon making a whole other baby card that had a lot more bells and whistles on it.  I was forcing myself to do something I wasn't really feeling and it was disastrous.  I undid and redid more than once and eventually scrapped the whole thing.  After dinner I sat down and made both of these cards in record time.  They're cleaner and simpler and they just felt right to me.  My comfort zone changes from one stamping interlude to the next, so it's best to just go with the flow.  My friend loved them, thankfully.

I have two challenges I'm linking to today.  Both cards work for both challenges, but I can only link one to each so here goes:

The Sisterhood of Crafters "The Letter B" (first card).  Use anything that starts with the letter B.  I have a baby Bella elephant, buttons, a bow, and a little bit of blue in the designer paper.

Retro Rubber "Button It!" (second card).  Use buttons and any stamp more than a year old.  The ellie stamp goes back to 2011 and the sentiment is even older.  Love using the old stuff!

   

Whew, long post!  I'll leave you to it now.  Have a happy day!

Card #1.  Stamps:  Wild Rose Studio "Bella with Posy", MFT "Because You're Special"  Paper:  X-Press It Blending Card, Apricot Bazzill, Lawn Fawn Perfectly Plaid designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics as pictured above  Accessories:  Buttons, linen thread, Stickles Stardust glitter glue, Taylored Expressions Rectangle Stacklets, TE Ric Rac Borders

Card#2.  Stamps:  Our Craft Lounge "Circus Circus", A Muse sentiment  Paper:  Neenah 110 lb white, SU Apricot Appeal, Green Galore, Lawn Fawn Perfectly Plaid designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics for coloring  Accessories:  Buttons, linen thread, Stickles Stardust glitter glue, pearls, flower punch, Sizzix Flowers embossing folder, MFT Die-namics Stitched Rectangle Frames, La-La Land Random Flags Banner, Impression Obsession Leaf Cluster, Scotch brand foam mounting tape (elephant)