Sunshine on a Rainy Day

Hello to you and thanks for dropping in!  Today's card suggests a clear blue sky in the middle of a rainy day.  You know how it can be sunny and raining at the same time?  Spring is a lot like that and sometimes Life is, too.

I'm playing along with Double D's Showers and Flowers challenge.  I've combined my not-yet-used Laurel Burch Umbrella Cats (Stampendous) with several older goodies from my stamp room stash.

It was also a coloring experiment.  I tried Copics on Cryogen ivory.  I did not have such a great experience and will not recommend it.  However, I'm going to try pencils next and I'll let you know.  I'd rather use white paper, but only have the ivory.  The card turned out cute, though!

Old, but still loved:  The rain stamp is a very old wood block from a company no longer in business.  I stamped repeatedly to cover the card base.  The blue circle was embossed with my first ever embossing folder on a piece of  Core'dinations cardstock, discontinued by Stampin' Up.  I sanded the embossed circle to bring out the pattern.  See how the flowers are similar to those in the umbrella?    A strip of super old SU designer paper was added for the cats to sit on, and the green strip with cats was popped up.

This was not a quick card, but definitely a fun card to make as it involved quite a bit of play.  That same SU designer paper provided all I needed for the inside.

The sentiment is apropos of our times, but I did not choose this set for that reason.  It just worked out that way.  It's very true, though, isn't it?  If you're sharing your umbrella with someone I sure hope it's someone you love.

Double D Challenge:  Showers and Flowers

Have a beautiful day!

Stamps:  Laurel Burch Umbrella Cats from Stampendous, Comotion rain stamp (very old and out of business)  Paper:  Cryogen ivory for coloring, SU Core'dinations (retired), Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White (card base), retired SU designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, SU Cool Caribbean (rain)  Coloring:  Copics  Dies:  Memory Box Stitched Circle Layers  Other:  Cuttlebug Bloom Dots embossing folder

Monday Fun Day: I Fell off the Diet Wagon

Happy Monday!  Need a laugh?  Art Impressions girlfriends met up with Riley & Company Funny Bones for this one:

There's something about staying at home that makes me want to cook and bake yummy things.  It's not hard for me to ignore all the store bought treats Rich enjoys, but when something is homemade my brain tells me that if I went to all the trouble to make it, I really should eat it.  Darn brain!

Additionally, a flare up of sciatica is making any exercise difficult.  I still walk, but not far.  It mostly hurts in my hip and knee and I'm sure hoping it's only sciatica.  Actually, it's getting better, so I'm eager to start on longer walks and some big jobs outside.  I've been on the diet wagon and it's not a fun ride.  I'd rather burn off the calories... wishful thinking, probably.

If you want to sit in front of your computer and laugh out loud, just check out more Riley & Company sentiments here.  The girlfriends are from Art Impressions Laughing set.  I haven't had them very long, but I've colored them many times already.

Oh, by the way, I used Tombow markers for watercoloring, and the border is Lil' Inker Silly Stitched Die Set.  Rhinestones from my stash.  I hope you're smiling!  Have a great day!

On Goldens and Garden

Home with the doggies again on Goldens and Garden.  Come visit!

Thank you.

Wash Your Hands

Hello there!  How about something very colorful to finish up the blog week?  I had a lot of fun with this one.  It's a Power Poppy digi called Wash Your Hands.  I thought about framing it or making it into a refrigerator magnet, but instead I think I'll mail it to someone just because I care.

I colored with Copics on X-Press It Blending Card.  Added glossy accents to the bubbles, hand drew the black border, and popped it up on foam mounting tape.

Have a look here, too:

Stacy Morgan
Gloria Stengel
Christine Okken
Allison Cope
Broni Holcombe
Lisa Johansen

Pretty stuff!  Have a lovely day!

A Springtime Hello

Hi there!  Still coloring a little something now and then.  I thought I'd have another go at this pretty bird before I file the stamp set away in one of the bird drawers.  I really didn't intend to cut out the whole dang image, but sometimes my card making has a mind of its own.  It was easy to cut out, actually, and I do love the dimension with it popped up.

I used Copics on X-Press It Blending Card.  Directly under the bird is a favorite Marianne Designs Anja's Oval.  I brushed the center with DOX Antique Linen and Picked Raspberry.   The gorgeous paper covering the card base is Mintay Springtime.

This week's cards were all made last week, but I continue to spend a little time each morning in my stamp room before the spring weather calls me outside.  A little sunshine, a little rain... typical spring.  I'm sorry for everyone who is still getting snow or, worse yet, the tornadoes I've been seeing on the news.  As if things weren't bad enough.  Take care, friends.  See you again soon!

Just Saying Hello

A happy hello today!  Playing with one of my newest Cottage Cutz dies called Telephone.  It comes with the phone, the speech bubble, and the "hello".  Not too many small parts and very fun, for sure!

All parts were cut at once in white and colored with Copics.  I thought this paper looked a little bit like flowery wallpaper.  It's some pretty Mintay from the Together collection.  The speech bubble is popped up and the "hello" is two layers.  Memo is part of the Mintay collection.  I borrowed a bird from a Spellbinders set.

It took some time to put the parts together, but no special skills required and I'm feeling pretty okay with that.  Just going with what feels right at the time.  You all take care and I hope you aren't going stir crazy yet.  I never run out of things to do so still okay here.  Hugs all around!

Goldens and Garden

It's cherry blossom time on Goldens and Garden today.  More pictures there.  Stop by and say "hi"!

Life and Love

Hello there!  Wrapping up the blog week with some Power Poppy.  I've watercolored the Asters Abuzz digital stamp for an anniversary card.  I think it works.  I've made lots of anniversary cards for a particular friend so I'm always looking at what I have through new eyes.

I've  used my Tombow markers for the watercolor.  Poppystamps Dotted Curve and some wood grain designer paper for a little interest in the layout.  The sentiment was cut with Sizzix Fancy Tags.  These are not new things on the market, but well loved.

The massive sale is still going on at Power Poppy.  Lots of clear stamp sets are retiring.  I believe all digis are on sale, including this one.

My Power Poppy friends have a few cards to share with you, too:

Stacy Morgan
Barbara Campbell
Broni Holcombe
Nancy Sheads
Christine Okken

Thanks so much for your time.  Wishing you a beautiful day!

A Little Birdie

Hello, friends!  A little birdie told me it was time to color something pretty so, even though my coloring mojo has been evading me lately, I decided to go for it with one of my prettiest not-yet-used stamps -- Stampendous Bird Frame.

Is that not the sweetest thing?  I fell in love with it.  I watercolored with Gansai Tambi paints.  Very light and delicate, telling myself not to fuss.  I do want to color this again, especially because there are a bazillion sentiments with the set.

I added the tiniest bit of glitter to the petal and leaf edges, plus three iridescent sequins.  It wasn't a good picture day.  Image is somewhat washed out while the yellow frame appears more vibrant than it actually is.  Nevertheless, it's cheerful and sweet and will be nice for a May birthday.

The frame is Cheery Lynn Dutch Daisy Boutique Stacker A2 Frame.  Image is cut with Taylored Expressions Stitched Rectangle Stacklets.  They are not new dies, but the stamp is new so I'm sending this card over to NBUS Challenge #13.

Thank you all for stopping by.  I hope you're doing okay in all respects.  I'll be here again on Friday.  Hugs!

Little Frog and a Lotta Dots

I haven't given up on coloring, but a little break feels right for the time being.  I just need to play.  We're doing quite well at our house, staying home except for necessities and exercise.  We're social distancing and wearing our homemade masks when we go to the store.  That was one of my busy projects, sewing a few masks.  I no longer have a lot of sewing supplies (gave up for paper crafting), but I had just enough 1/4" elastic for four masks, which I made from old pillowcases.  Not so pretty, but functional.

Well, anyway, here's my very colorful and whimsical card that was hugely fun to design and simply makes me smile:

First of all, I want to mention that the reason the little brush is in the picture is because I used it to brush on the bit of blue around the frog.  Just a touch.  I didn't want to do the whole background.  The handy little brush was included in my set of Beauty Kate make up blending brushes.

The little girls next door will be turning 9, 5, and 3 yrs old this year and I'm all out of kids' cards, so I might as well start getting ready.  The frog is one of my 95 cent Cottage Cutz dies.  I didn't even know I needed him until I saw him.  He's only 2 parts -- the body and the eyes.  Easy peasy.  I thought he would look cute with the boots and umbrella.  The "hi" is three layers of black, and as you can see, I went dotty with everything else.

Are those boots cute, or what?  The boots and umbrella are a Frantic Stamper set.  I'll list everything below my signature.

My other reasons for making this card are:

Double D Challenge:  Banners and NBUS Challenge #13 (I'll make a pest of myself at NBUS because I'm on a mission to use all my never-before-used schtuff.)  The frog, dotted curve, and boots are all NBUS.


Thank you so much for stopping by.  I hope to get caught up on my blog visiting soon.  Stay well!

Dies used on today's card:  Cottage Cutz Frog Mini, Paper Smooches Hello Words, Frantic Stamper Rainy Day Necessities, Poppystamps Dotted Curve, Memory Box Banner Parade

Trees 4 Sale

Hello, and welcome to a new week!  I'm back with more Cottage Cutz Christmas today -- three cards with the Trees 4 Sale die.  It's another new-to-me and not-yet-used die from a January order.  As I've mentioned a time or two, I have a weakness for Cottage Cutz dies and, in fact, another order is on its way -- 13 more dies.  Seriously, the prices in the sale category... you can sort "low to high"... it took a lot of restraint to whittle my order down to 13.

It's a one-piece die, but when colored it appears to be a bunch of little pieces all put together.  I made a simple background of Salty Ocean Distress Oxide ink, blushed on with a make up blending brush.  Coloring was done with Copics.  The Snowflake Banner is by La-La Land and appears to be retired.  I had 3 that a friend had cut and sent to me.  Now I have none, boo hoo.

You can't see much sparkle in the photo, but the red star on the tree is covered with red Stickles glitter.  I did my best to keep it simple.

Did you see that Darnell re-started her NBUS Challenge?  NBUS:  Never before used schtuff.   Whatever it is, doesn't matter how long you've had it, if you haven't used it yet it's NBUS.  All challenges are anything goes.  You can read more on the challenge blog.  I have plenty of NBUS, such as today's Trees 4 Sale, so I'll be playing along a lot!

Pictured below are my NBUS dies.  I make an envelope for every die, same size as the Memory Box and Poppystamps envelopes.  Therefore, the dies in the stack are from miscellaneous companies.  Uniform size makes them easier to store.  If it's bigger than A2 size, it goes into a 5x7 envelope.  They are all indexed in bins by category and easy to flip through to find something.  I tried magnetic pages in a folder and it just didn't work for me.

As of this writing I'm still waiting for the new Cottage Cutz order to arrive.  I know!  Sometimes I feel sheepish about the excess and that's why I have to get serious about whittling down this NBUS pile.  This is just the dies.  The stamps are another whole story.

Wishing you a very happy day!

Let it Be

Hello, my friends!  I colored a Power Poppy digital stamp for today.  It was a freebie a few years ago and I don't think it's available now, but I thought the sentiment was quite appropriate for our current situation.  Most of you will recognize the Beatles' song which inspired the stamp.  With its comforting lyrics and soothing melody I couldn't get it out of my head for the longest time.

Edited to add:  It's back!  This free digital download is back in the shop and available here.

I colored with Copics and applied glossy accents to the letters.   Found some older designer paper that coordinated nicely, and even added a couple of brads.

I typed the word, "free", into the search field in the Power Poppy shop and these results popped up.  See the first 5 items.  There are some pretty things I'd forgotten about!

Now, I'll direct you to the Power Poppy blog where I believe you'll see more team samples -- miscellaneous this and that, and all a delight to the eyes.

You all take care of yourselves, keep on enjoying life, and let the rest of it be.  Hugs to all!

Two Christmas Cards

Hello, again!  I spent a few mornings making Christmas cards, starting with some of my newer Cottage Cutz dies for which I have a serious weakness.  Love shopping the retired list at Scrapping Cottage.  I do have to be careful not to select sets with too many small parts or I won't use them enough.  The die I used today, however, is perfect!

It's called Christmas Border -- all one part, sentiment included, and it cuts beautifully.  For each card I cut once in white and once in a coordinating darker color, then layered for depth.  I added some old Spellbinders Create-a-Flake-Five snowflakes.

Both cards have backgrounds made with Distress Oxide inks.  Splattered first with water and then with diluted white acrylic paint.  The first card is Chipped Sapphire and Milled Lavender.  The next card is Seedless Preserves

So simple.  A lot of my Christmas cards this year will be made with Cottage Cutz dies.  I've built up quite a collection, I kid you not.  The good thing is that the CC Christmas dies always get used... in multiples.

Have a fabulous day!