One for Christmas

I just realized today is Halloween.  You'd think I might share a Halloween card, but I'm fresh out of those and moving along through the remainder of fall and onward to Christmas.  Today it's Power Poppy's Wreath:  Felt Leaves and Fruits digital stamp.

A little heavy on the design today.  Honestly, this started out as clean and simple, but I wasn't happy with it, so it grew layer by layer, die cut by die cut, until I ended up with the card you see here.  It can be mailed in an envelope, but will require extra postage, tsk tsk.

I Copic-colored the wreath in softer hues of blue-green, pink, and gray.  Added Stickles glitter and three tiny crystals.  I'll list ingredients below my signature, and that will probably explain how everything was layered and put together.

Back to it now!  Lots more coloring and card designing needs doing.  Happy Halloween!

Stamps:  Power Poppy Wreath: Felt Leaves and Fruit digital stamp  Paper:  X-Press It Blending Card, SU Soft Sky, silver-white glitter card stock, Mintay Christmas Stories designer paper  Ink:  Printer, Copics for coloring  Accessories:  Crystals, Stickles Stardust glitter glue  Dies:  Memory Box Stitched Circle Layers, Spellbinders Basic Lattice, Cottage Cutz Fall Vine, Poppystamps Prim and Proper Bow

A Raccoon and his Pumpkin

Why, yes, it's another pumpkin card.  I believe I mentioned I have a lot of pumpkins to color this year.  This makes five so far and, if memory serves, there are three yet to go.  I'm trying to get to all of them before fall is over.

Today's pumpkin is new to me this year, a Eureka Stamps digi called Pumpkin Raccoon.  I'm here, there, and everywhere when it comes to buying stamps, digital or otherwise.  You link, I follow.

I let the Copic-colored image pop on a muted background.  Tutti Designs Leaves Background cut from old designer paper and Tutti Designs Stitched Nesting Hearts -- both new to me.  I like using hearts on my cards.  A little glitter couldn't hurt, so I applied Stickles Stardust glitter glue to the sentiment and pumpkin.

I'll be back Wednesday with a Christmas card and it does not include a pumpkin.  I hope to see you then.  Enjoy your day!

Stamps:  Eureka Stamps digital Pumpkin Raccoon  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Bazzill tans, SU Garden Green and old SU designer paper  Ink:  Printer, Copics for coloring  Accessories:  Stickles Stardust glitter glue, Tutti Designs Leaves Background and Stitched Nesting Hearts, Paper Smooches Hello Words

The Morning After an Autumn Rain

On Goldens and Garden today.  Thank you!

Watercolored Fall Vignette

Well, here we are again at another Friday.  These fall weeks speed by like they're in a hurry for winter, but flowers are still blooming wildly in many areas this time of year.  We can't let autumn leaves have all the fun, can we?

The stamp is one of the more recently released Power Poppy digitals called Season's Seatings.  I have this stamp in the So Grateful clear set and have loved it well, but was happy to see it now available in digital format 'cause you know I love to make them bigger.

Watercoloring was done with Tombow markers on Arches 140 lb hot pressed watercolor paper.  I covered the card base with wood grain paper and bordered with a leftover scrap of lattice which, in turn, was bordered with a scrap of plaid.  Carried the plaid up to the hearts to add some love to the sentiment.  The sentiment is from the Pure Prairie Spirit clear set.

I hope you're on your way to a nice weekend filled with good things, and if you love stamping as I do, may your weekend include plenty of it.  Take care!

My Sweetie's Birthday Card

Hi there!  Today's card is totally masculine and all made with dies (other than the sentiment).  It's for my husband's birthday and, rather than making something cute or funny this year, I decided to make a card somewhat reminiscent of our travels and camping this past summer.  A little travel trailer die would be cute, but how often would I use it?  Instead, I splurged on some new dies and chose something I could use for many occasions.

My Rich loves old cars, especially trucks, and he's a little bit fascinated by this type of die cut card.  You know... I always feel like a kid when I make one of these, and that's not a bad thing.  Remember construction paper, and the paste that the kid sitting next to you liked to eat, the scissors that would cut paper, but not your fingers?  Think back... that was a long time ago!

Anyway... I think it's pretty apparent how I put it together, so I'll simply share the die list:

Memory Box Pine Forest Frame
Impression Obsession Classic Truck
Poppystamps Stitched Landscapes
Sizzix Primitive Stars

I did some Copic coloring and sponged edges, but tried to keep it simple.  The star is there because I didn't care for my placement of the sentiment and it needed a filler for balance.  Actually, I think it might have been just the right thing to finish it off.

Thanks for stopping in to visit today.  I enjoy this sharing thing of ours and I hope you do, too.  Have a happy day!

Purdy Halloween

Hello again and welcome to Monday!  I continue to be busy as all get out with the card making.  This will probably be my last Halloween card, but I will say I've enjoyed the heck out of making them.  Thoughts must turn now to Thanksgiving, upcoming birthdays, Christmas, and a large card order (great timing).

I wouldn't have nearly so many Halloween stamps if it wasn't for my friend, Sherri, who shared bunches with me this year.  I didn't have time to color them all, but I made a good dent in the batch.  This one is from the out of business Plum Purdy and one of my favorites.

Colored with Copics on Neenah Classic Crest Solar White and decorated with Doodlebug papers and stars.  The Happy Halloween strip is from a pack of Halloween borders I've had in my collection for years.  I use them every year and will probably never run out.  The plaid border is a scrap left over from die cutting two strips of ric rac (last year).  Added some dots of orange Stickles glitter.  Simple and colorful!

I'll be back on Wednesday with my husband's birthday card and then we'll see what's next.  I've had to lay out my stamps and dies in some sort of order so I can stay focused and get more done.  Busy stamping times!  Have a good day!

Action Wally and Resting LuLu

On Goldens and Garden today.  Thank you!

Birdhouse Stained Glass

Hello again!  One last post for this week -- some flowers for Friday.  Very colorful flowers in a stained glass window.  See the gloss?

It wasn't easy to photograph to its best advantage, but -- wow -- I love this technique!  I saw it first on Darnell's blog here, and Darnell links to where she learned it, and then her inspiration links to where she learned it.  Every now and then I actually try something I've made note of.

I wouldn't call it a quick card, but it's easier than it may look.  This is what I did:

• Cut Tutti Designs Birdhouse Stained Glass die from Neenah 110 lb white and glue to a larger piece of plain white paper.  The larger piece makes it easier to handle during the process.  It will be trimmed down later.
• Color with Tombow markers.  Copics could also be used.  No special coloring skills required.
• Fill in the colored spaces with some kind of glossy coating product.  I used Inkssentials Glossy Accents.  No worries about staying precisely in the cut out spaces.  Another die cut will be layered on top to finish.
• After the gloss is dry add another die cut layer.  I used glossy black paper.  More layers can be added for extra dimension.
• Trim the outer edges flush with the die outline.
• Adhere finished piece to card front.

I'm imagining this technique with many of the dies in my collection.  It's perfect for a stained glass window, but there are so many possibilities.  Even with flaws it comes out amazing.  I'm thinking I need to stock up on Glossy Accents.  Still, it used very little from the bottle.

I made this specifically as a new home card for a friend -- window, birdhouse...  I think it works.

Wrapping up... we'll start over again next week.  Enjoy your day!

Double D Challenge: Stripes and Dots

Welcome to another Double D challenge!  This time around we're doing Stripes and Dots.  I enjoy mixing up paper patterns, and our challenge provides a great opportunity.  Your stripes and dots don't have to be designer paper, but you know me -- love that paper!  These days I'm torn between lots of white and lots of designer paper.  With this card I have both!

Here's our inspiration board -- so cute!

The team votes on favorites, plus a random winner gets the prize pictured below.

There's not much to explain here -- paper and die cuts.  The "happy birthday" is layered for dimension and shadowed with black so it would be more distinct against the white.  An enamel dot dots the i.  The folded card is 6 3/4" x 3 3/4".

The card recipe is below my signature.

Be sure and visit the Double D blog for more info and team samples.  Fun stuff!  Have a happy day!

Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, black, Simple Stories Snap Color Vibe designer paper
Dies:  Paper Smooches Happy Birthday, Lawn Fawn Outside In Stitched Scalloped Rectangle Stackables, Memory Box Banner Parade

Something New and Some News!

Hello and happy October 15th!  Today is my birthday and guess what I got.  Okay... I won't make you guess... I'll just tell you:

💛  I'M BACK ON THE POWER POPPY TEAM!  💛

This time it's not the Bloom Brigade, but the Instant Gardeners, which is perfect for me because our job is to introduce the brand spanking new digital release on the 15th of each month.  You know how I love my digis, and my heart has always been with Power Poppy so...

Down to business...  I colored up the Halloween version of the new Painting Pumpkins digital stamp set.

What a great image with which to start my new job!

The graphic below shows you one of the alternative images in the set...

... and Marcella's words make you feel like coloring:

"Painted pumpkins — whether given a coat of chalky milk paint in pastel hues, a bold dip with metallic accents, or delicate dots with a fine-tipped brush — are all the rage. Now you can paint the pumpkins in real life AND in your papercrafting process. In this arrangement I have several pumpkins primed for your special creative touches. Paint pots and brushes await your artwork on the "blank canvas" version, or use one of my pre-drawn patterns or jack-o-lantern faces. A series of 4 sentiments ranging from a general Thank You through Halloween and Thanksgiving allows multiple uses for this fresh fall imagery."

I used Copics on Neenah Classic Crest Solar White.  After I colored the pumpkins all orange it occurred to me that I should do something to justify the three paint pots sitting there on the table, so I colored the acorns -- orange, green, and blue.

For the triple happy fishtail banner on the front I cropped out the "happy" from one of the sentiments and stacked them up -- one happy for each pumpkin.  Pictured below is the inside of the card where you can see the original sentiment.  Finished off very simply with a scrap of die cut ric rac left over from the front.

I've been coloring a lot of pumpkins this year with more yet to come, and each time I've use these Copic colors:

That's it from me!  Below is a link list to everyone sharing samples with the Painting Pumpkins digital set:

Nancy
Leslie (you are here)
Rhea
Cheryl
Broni
Marcella on the Power Poppy blog

Have a look.  It'll be fun!

Thanks for celebrating with me today!  I'll see you again on Wednesday.

Poinsettia in Gold

Did you observe World Card Making Day Saturday?  I spent a good part of the morning addressing cards for the mail, and in the afternoon I made three cards.  Monday morning I photographed.  There's a lot more to stamping than making cards!  I'll have to wait a bit to share some of the cards I made, but today I have a Christmas card.

The frame and poinsettia were already cut and laying on my desk unassembled.  They looked dull and uninteresting until I splattered them with dilute white acrylic paint.  Perhaps too dilute, hence the large splatters, but I still like the look of it.  I cut the poinsettia again from green glitter paper for the leaves, and nested it on gold glitter foliage.

The flower center is glitter paper circles.  I know, not very gorgeous, but it will be easy to mail.  I had a fancy rhinestone brad all picked out for it, but in the end I couldn't bring myself to add the hard bulk.  Glitter paper dots and the retired JustRite sentiment finish it off.  Here's the die list:

Poppystamps Stitched Poinsettia Trio
Poppystamps Sylvan Sprig
Die-namics Stitched Rectangle Frames

I'm happy to have added another Christmas card to my stash, and it sure was quick and easy.  Thanks a lot for visiting today.  You know I love it when you stop by.  Take care!

Pleased to Make Your Acquaintance

On Goldens and Garden today.  Thanks!

Prismacolored Bountiful Bouquet

Flowerful Friday greetings, friends!  How about an early fall arrangement today?  We're feeling cooler temps here on the Oregon coast, but I still have quite a few flowers blooming and they'll keep it up for a while yet.  How nice it would be to have this pitcher of fall goodness on my table!

This is a digital stamp set that soared to the top of my Power Poppy favorites the moment I laid eyes on it.  Big surprise, right?  It's called Bountiful Bouquet.

I printed the no-line version on Neenah Classic Crest Solar White and used Prismacolor pencils blended with Gamsol odorless mineral spirits.  This coloring method takes (me) a little longer, but I love the soft, powdery look of it.  Some detail was added without the mineral spirits blending, but I avoided too much contrast so as not to lose the softness.

It's all very white and clean, isn't it?  I didn't want to over-design the card and detract from the image and, at any rate, there wasn't much room left for design.  Generally I shade the background, but this time I simply did a little grounding and added grid lines with a ruler and Prismacolor pencil.  So easy and it just felt right.

The sentiment on the front is from Power Poppy's "Good Thinking:  Renewal" clear set.  Inside I used a quote that comes with Bountiful Bouquet -- "Be happy for this moment.  This moment is your life."  ~  Omar Khayyam.  I like the two sentiments together and I think they work nicely for a birthday card.

That finishes up the week for me.  Hopefully, I'll be back on the blog shortly.  Now, go forth and have a wonderful weekend!

Double D Challenge: Scare-in' Up Some Pumpkins

Honestly, some cards are just too much fun.  The more I say that, the more I love this craft.  Today I've used a Penny Black stamp which was shared by a friend.  I'm not sure of the name.  I searched, but couldn't find it so I'm thinking it's retired.  I'll just call it "Scaredy Cat", which makes it perfect for our new Double D Challenge -- Scare-in' Up Some Pumpkins.

We're asked to focus on either scarecrows or pumpkins or both.  See our cute mood board below:

And a prize for a random winner:

As always, creative winners are chosen by team vote.  See the Double D blog for all the details.

I Copic colored on Neenah Classic White and decorated with old papers and Halloween trim from my stash.  Added glitter enamel dots, a narrow frame, and an Impression Obsession Grass Border.

Once again, it's a 5" card -- not too big, not too small.

There are some darn cute team samples for this challenge, including plenty of scarecrows.  Have a look, and then share yours.  I'm off to see what fun I can get into next.  Enjoy your day!

Also sharing in these challenges:

The Paper Players Tic-Tac-Toe.  I used the middle row down.
Cards in Envy -- Something Spooky

First Birthday

Welcome to a brand new week in a brand new month!  We're starting off here with my little neighbor's first birthday.  I looked for an age-appropriate image, added bright colors, and avoided any small parts she might be able to pick off.  The stamp is a Bugaboo digi called Ice Cream Dog.

The polka dot presents are brads which I've had in my stash forever.  I'm thinking she'd have to be a very strong and nimble-fingered one year old to pick off these brads.  Kids can surprise you, but I'm sure Mom will keep a watchful eye.  Does anyone still use brads?

After covering the white card base with polka dot paper I ran it through the Big Shot with Lil' inker Silly Stitched Die Set.  The largest die leaves an impression, but doesn't cut.  I like that.  The image was cut with a smaller die in the same set.  Copic colored, Stickles glitter added.

Moving along... lots of stamping on the agenda.  I'll pop back on Wednesday.  Till then, take care and have a good week!

Stamps:  Bugaboo Ice Cream Dog digital, Your Next Stamp Whatnot Sentiments Eleven  Paper:  X-Press It Blending Card, other white for card base, yellow, Echo Park Fine and Dandy designer paper  Ink:  Printer, Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics for coloring  Accessories:  Brads, ribbon, Stickles Stardust glitter glue, Lil' inker Silly Stitched Die Set